Review by Katrina Couzens of FLOW presented by Angel Strings
There’s not a lot of opportunity to hear honest to goodness chamber music in Brisbane outside of the large theatres like QPAC or high school music ensembles. FLOW, presented by string quartet Angel Strings in the foyer of the Riverside Centre scratched an itch I didn’t know I had.
Presenting repertoire that spanned from Ravel’s Bolero, to the Rolling Stone’s Paint it Black, to the soundtrack of 50 Shades of Grey, Angel Strings took us on a journey of soaring beauty, energetic jazz, and dramatic harmony with barely a gap in between for applause.
I only wish they’d given us a map. In an age where streaming platforms have saturated our lives with algorithmically determined tracks, human curation and live performance offers an opportunity for real connection. In other words, the why is just as compelling as the what. Katherine, superb cellist and reluctant spokesperson commented about needing a digital display to “tick off” pieces as they’re being played, and while it was said as a joke, I found myself yearning throughout to understand the music that was being played and what it meant to the musicians. It wouldn’t need to be live commentary; a playbook with a few notes about each piece could do wonders without disrupting the flow of the concert.
Because in the surprisingly awesome cathedral-like acoustics of the Riverside Centre foyer, looking out across the rippling fountains to the dark river studded by lights, diving from piece to piece and relishing in the ringing notes feels absolutely correct. Laura and Katie’s soaring, sweet violin notes, the tender tones of Carmen’s viola, Katherine’s warm, sturdy cello, and copious dry ice cloud effects created a meditative mood. With my view of the musicians obscured by the rows in front of me, I often found myself gazing into the night, watching people stroll along the water, just letting the music wash over me, drawing me into the flow.
