"Beyond the Six Strings"

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Indeed, the Silangan Chamber Guitar Ensemble showed what guitar performances are like beyond six strings. It was an evening of classical music in Church Among the Palm's new chapel; despite issues with the acoustics (the echoes were quite bad), the guitarists' renditions of the classics made me wonder how could they play such complicated pieces seemingly without difficulty?

I have to be honest; I am not such a big fan of classical music. I know Mozart's Requiem quite well and I listen to it when I feel stressed out. Beethoven, sure, with Symphony No. 9's Ode to Joy. Other than these pieces, I am not familiar with classical music... much less with those arranged particularly to be played by guitar ensembles.

And so tonight, I listened in to appreciate the classics. And the guitarists helped... a lot. The audience was taken on a musical journey that enthralled and educated. We listened to pieces composed by people I have never heard of (except for Antonio Vivaldi); there were western classics and then there were pieces with a more Latin flair. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

It was a good evening with great music. And it was for a good cause too. The concert was part of fund-raising efforts for the Church Among the Palms sanctuary.

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