Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Poetry Slammed


A friend of mine sent me an intriguing email late last week, “you see, there’s poetry and choir music and wrestling and Emily Dickinson.”

To which I replied, “It’s just crazy enough to work!”

The STL Chamber Chorus, inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Musicians Wrestle Everywhere”, commissioned a piece, inspired by wrestling. And then held their concert in a wrestling hall.

It was unorthodox, but entertaining. I haven’t attended too many choral concerts in my day, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The performers were outstanding and unified, if not a touch too dignified for a concert held in a sweaty gym. I guess that’s where I was a bit underwhelmed—the pageantry. I was hoping to hear a Bruce Buffer-esque introduction—“Weighing in at 200 pounds out of Warsaw, Poland, Marge ‘note strangler’ Plotzman!!!”—or see the group come out in luchador masks (I mean, is a sequined half-cape really too much to ask?). Instead, they wore their concert blacks and it seemed like a missed opportunity. Also, I heard a lot of songs about wrestling, but they didn’t feel like wrestling. Granted, many of the songs just used wrestling as metaphor, but still.

Overall, I enjoyed the chance to experience something new and wholly foreign. And the opportunity to pin the conductor with a figure-4 leg lock. And … it's over! I can't believe it! Ladies and gentlemen ... we're done!