Even on a Wednesday night, it was another sold out performance for the Bulkley Valley Concert Association. There was the usual air of anticipation of another great performance from the players the group convinced to come here in the middle of the week.
Of course, there was no disappointment as the BC World Music Collective gave one of the most amazing shows of musical variation and excellence one could expect way up here in the wilds of semi-northern Canada.
Amazing, enthralling, amusing, jaw-dropping. One could go on quite a while.
When the larger group played the venue was rocking. When smaller sections played, it was rolling.
Explanations about instruments and styles were easy to understand and demonstrations of ability were simply incredible.
One might think that a lot of this music would be unappealing to such a wide range within the audience but such was not the case. The rapping, for example, was not the usual expletive laden, almost impossible to understand form that some have come to dread. The best way to describe it is to call it a musical form of expression.
The way that the different performers displayed their musical abilities, both as highlighters and as soloists. At times you could almost feel like you were in a comedy show and it was certainly not difficult to see that all involved loved what they did.
The percussion of the group was more than just some kind of underlying assistance to the group. There was an amazing show of finger dexterity on the tambourine, gourds added something more than just few little shaking sounds, the drums were not just going boom-boom in the background.
The marimba playing was an act in itself. Amazing is only one way to describe that performance.
There was even a remarkable performance on a water bottle. Yep, a water bottle. Awesome is about the only way to describe it.
Each solo play was a delight. Of course, there were the great shows of how to play the guitar and other more modern instruments but the displays of using the traditional devices made from everyday substances like gourds with strings inside were educational and entertaining.
More than once, there was the question of “how can they make that great music out of that thing?” Or out of nothing more than lips and hands. Unreal.
I am certainly no expert in musical styles but I do know what sounds good and what shows excellence. BC World Music Collective was at the top end of both.
It was a great way to spend a mid-week evening and to spend some time listening to how much the group loved our town.
Kudos once again to the work of the Bulkley Valley Concert Association. Next up will be the Tara Cheyanne performance on Nov. 18. Don’t miss it.
