[Harp-L] Day 5 In Hong Kong

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Hello all.

Another great day here at the HK harmonica happening yesterday. There wre
some very well attended harmonica trio and ensemble competitions yesterday,
as well as a 10-hole diatonic competition. At the open-stage event in the
main foyer of the Hong Kong Cultural Center there was a crowd of up to a
1000 or more watching various players, both rank amatures and some of the
headlining guest artists, getting up in front of the open mic and strutting
their stuff. It is interesteing to me how only a small percentage of the
music played by the Asian players is actually Asian in origin, far and away
the majority of music is western pop or classical and it's played to a *VERY*
high standard. Also, the ensembles are groups of retirement village residents
who can't read a note and are all playing the melody together incorrectly
en masse, but range in age from primary school children, young teens, young
adults, through to retirees, but all of them reading their own parts and
many of the groups having a conductor. And, surprise surprise, all of them
make great music and are having a ball doing it! Since I personally predict
that within the next 2 decades the chromatic harmonica will be all but dead
in the United States except for a small handful of jazz and blues players,
it is comforting to know that the popularity of the chromatic, and the standard
of playing, is actually rising in Asia in all styles of music.

Last night was the 'classical delights' concert. We were privileged to hear
the outstanding playing of Yasuo Watani from Japan, Sigmund Groven from Norway,
the Kings Harmonica Quintet from Hong Kong, and Franz Chmel from Austria.
All of these artists were backed by a full symphony orchestra, and all received
numerous encores. Since my internet time is almost up I'll just finish by
saying that the 'heavy' classical pieces written for harmonica weren't as
well received as those pieces that were either traditional classical pieces,
or pieces that are simply great music such as James Moody's 'Toledo'. I think
that a classical concert should be enjoyed, not simply endured, but that's
only my opinion.

Best wishes to all,

Paul