From: niall~ynamite.com.au Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 05:24:44 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Aussie harp festival
While on the subject of Pocono and Bean Blossom, let me tell you about the recent experience of this novice. Last Saturday 31 July I caught my first harp concert and it was THE GREATEST, really world standard. I travelled 350 km to catch it, - so did many others - and it was well worth the journey. I don’t know even if anyone recorded the show. These players would be stars in the US, but performed in an old community hall with a corrugated iron roof, for free, just for the love of it. It was in Burwood, Sydney at a place called Woodstock - no connection with the American location of the same name, this one has been a community hall for generations. You should have heard the blues groups, Toni Peri from Sydney, a shy, unassuming young fellow, blew the roof off. You would have loved it. The Harmonichords, including a 72-yo woman, played film themes using bass harps the size and weight of cricket bats, again, dislodged nails in the aforesaid roof, sounded like the entire New York Philharmonic Orchestra, perfect time and pitch and harmony. Bob McDonald from Melbourne, travelled 1200-odd km to perform, great stuff. World class classical harmonicist 'Rocky' Lok of the Kings Harmonica Quintet in Hong Kong diverted his world tour to attend. Some even used a microphone and an amp. There were many others, equally good,and I apologise to the performers I left out because I don't exactly know where they came from or whose names I mis-spelled.. The fellow who organised this is John McDougall, of Sydney, who makes personal sacrifices to do it. Perhaps some more experienced member of the Woodstock Harmonica Association will tell us more about it. and will post their web address. Be assured, harmonica is alive and well and implementing world's best practice in Australia.
