China Tour Blog #3: Esprit's Heroes

We separated the two orchestras (see blog entry #2) onto their respective buses, did our role call to make sure we didn't have any extra German horn players onboard (the NDR Orchestra brought 7 horns on tour so they could perform the Mahler Symphony #1!) and headed for the Merchantel Hotel in Beijing.

By the time we checked in and reassembled our scouting team to walk over for our tech. meeting at the Concert Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music where our concert would take place, we were an hour late getting there.

Mark Duggan and Blair Mackay, our heroes

Our percussionists, Mark Duggan and Blair Mackay were to check out the percussion instruments which they were to set up for the morning's 9 AM dress rehearsal. Surprise – No percussion instruments! After some frantic phone calls, we made arrangements to come an hour before the 9 AM rehearsal for set up.

8 AM arrival at the hall – no instruments! Mimi got on the phone and raised the red alert. By the 9 AM start, we had one vibraphone and one bass drum. Esprit had ordered thirty-six percussion instruments!

Mark and Blair were heroic! They did the whole dress rehearsal with two instruments! They improvised their parts, replacing the chimes with the bass drum, the marimba with the vibraphone, the sleighbells with the bass drum, the glockenspiel with the vibes, the temple blocks on the bass drum, the gongs on the vibes, the suspended cymbals on the bass drum etc. You get the picture. If we weren't so frustrated, it would have been totally comedic.

At the time that I am writing this it is 4 AM in Nanning, two days after the concert, and indeed it IS comedic. I'm laughing out loud in my hotel room!

Mark Duggan and Blair Mackay, our heroes.

– Alexina Louie