V SINGLES
I Davy Spillane: Indiana Drones (Cooking Vinyl) Davy-‘Mad Axe' Spillane sprays uillean pipe licksall over a ‘Not Fade Away' riff like a speed-crazy bombardier on the Somme. Whether you like this record will depend entirely on your reaction to the concept outlined above. (AM)
I The Rebel MC: Better World (Desire) ()ld Rebel hasn't strayed from the bass sound that made ‘Strect Tuff’ the biggest British hip hop hit. But. for all that. his confidence and verve is infectious in the extreme. A hit. or I‘ll eat my hooded top. (AM) I Propaganda: Heaven Give Me Words(Virgin) Propaganda return without (‘laudia Brucken A or practically any ofthe original members — but with a polished. fluid. adult dance record. Their most commercial to date. I'd venture. toning down the harshness of the ‘Dr Mabuse’ era. (AM) IWorldwide: Hi Destination (Precious) In a couple of years' time Worldwide might be where Del Amitri are now. but I can't see this. their debut. takingoff. So keen are they to show that they‘re not the Wets. but are still worthy of beingon the Wets' label. that they've tried too hard; the song is overloaded with ideas (is that an AI (ireen reference squeezed into the tiile'.’). and begins to sink under them. Not without promise. however. and a surfeit of directions they could go in the future. (AM)
I Rainland: Jane's Not Talking (Extravaganza) Rock Steady will go a bundle on them. but that‘s not necessarily meant as an insult. Rainmnd are Canadian singer Sara Macintosh and English musician Michael Stevenson. and ‘Jane's Not 'l'alking' is a deceptively. or perhaps not so deceptively . simple song that urges you to play it again. If anything. it relies loo much on a chorus that could be stronger. but hasa pleasing ettect on the old cardrunis. (AM)
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ROCK 28 JAZZ 33 FOLK 35 FOLK FESTIVAL 37 CLASSICAL 41
LISTINGS
MUSIC LIST.
V CLASSICAL
' Leningrad sell-out
It's too bad that Glasgow's new concert hall couldn’t have been ready to open (or the start of 1990 rather than the autumn. Or even April would have done as an awlul lot at people are going to be disappointed that seats in the City Hall are already well and truly sold out lor the concert by the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra on Thursday 12.
Part of the Visiting Orchestras Programme, which has already brought the Orchestra at the Age oi the Enlightenment and the Cracow Philharmonic and later in April brings the European Community Youth Orchestra, the LSO comes with a predictably all Russian programme. They open with Tchaikovsky’s symphonic lantasy The Tempest, then Sergei Stadler is the soloist in
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Prokoiiev‘s 1st Violin Concerto, with the second hall being given to the Symphony No 5 by Shostakovich. a composer with whom the orchestra has a special ailinity, having given the first performance at his Symphony No 7, The Leningrad. in 1942, while the city was under siege.
In Glasgow for their only Scottish date in a two-week British tour opening in Newcastle, the orchestra is conducted by their principal conductor, Alexander Omitriev, one of the USSR's leading conductors, with a particular reputation for his perlormances of 20th-century music. (Carol Main). Leningrad Symphony Orchestra.
V CLASSICAL
Bouncing back
One at the most exciting pieces oi new work to be heard in Glasgow this year is guaranteed to be John Tavener’s Resurrection, an almost three-hour long Easter oratorio to be premiered by Cappella Nova on Tuesday 17 in Glasgow Cathedral. Commissioned tor Cappella Nova in a bold move lrom Glasgow District Council, Resurrection’s inspiration lies in the liturgy and music at Greek and Russian Orthdox Christianity.
‘l'd always wanted to write this sort of work, but had been so daunted by the subject’ says the composer. ‘l’ve dealt with the Passion and Resurrection using texts taken from the Orthodox service at Holy Week and Easter, as well as the Old and New Testaments, and divided the instrumentalists and singers into seven groups with everyone coming together tor the Resurrection.’
There is a Liturgical Choir, lorming a ‘chorus', small ensembles at Old Testament prophets and New Testament priests, as well as the solo voices oi the ‘dramatis personae‘. Explaining the differences between the Easter at Eastern tradition and the Easter at the West, Tavener explains, ‘the Resurrection is tar more emphasised in the Eastern church. To me, there is a wrong emphasis in Western theology on the murdered
man, rather than the resurrected man. And I know this is a bit oi a sweeping statement to make, but it perhaps can answer tor the violent society in which we live. The other church is not allowed ever to show Christ in agony, even on the cross - he must be shown at peace.’ Indicating the high regard in which Tavener and his music are held in the Orthodox church, the performance will be attended by the Greek Archbishop, His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios ol Thayateira and Great Britain. (Carol Main)
Cappella Nova/Resurrection, Glasgow Cathedral, Tuesday 17 at 7.30pm. See Classical Listings.
Composer Shaun Davey‘s The Brendan Voyage. a suite for uillean pipes and chamber orchestra. was recorded by piper Liam O’Flynn 10 years ago. Norman Chalmers quizzes O’Flynn about this fusion of folk and classical music.
There is a saying in Ireland that it takes seven years practising. seven years playing. and seven years performing to make a piper. Some would say that is not long enough. What is certain is that Liam ()‘Flynn is the master piper of his generation. having been schooled by the remarkable collector. storyteller. singer and piper. Seamus Ennis.
‘I shared a house with Seamus for about two years or so in the mid-70s.‘ ()‘Flynn recalls. 'I had been playing since I was a youngster. and a relative used to come to the house J
24'1‘he List 6— it) April 1990