SÉAMUS AHEARNE: REVELLING IN RAVEL AND GUSHING OVER THE GALLAGHER BROS…

THE MUSIC OF LIFE: 

It was last Friday. It was the 18 July 26. It was the First Night of the BBC Proms. Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major (with the jazz blues featuring), was played by Yunchan Lim. Dalia Stasevska was conducting. What a performance! Even for someone as ignorant as I am, and as totally unfamiliar with the intricacies and delights of classical music, I was enthralled. That young Korean could make music stir the innards – he excited the soul and tickled the guts and the imagination. Watching Yunchan Lim and watching Dalia Stasevska (the Ukrainian), was exciting in itself! Now I had accidently come on the Programme and then left it for some time. 

WONDERWALL: 

I returned later for that most unusual piece: Wonderwall from OASIS. I believe it was also the English team’s song for the World Cup. Now watching Wonderwall was an extraordinary experience. The whole crowd in the Albert Hall was singing with total conviction. The brightness of the colours worn by everyone. The sound of the voices. The wholeheartedness of it all. I was jealous. Very jealous. It was Liturgy at its best. If only something of this could be incited into life at Church. Then a real and living God could be/would be, celebrated. It was powerful.

LITURGY AND CONGREGATIONAL SINGING: 

It did remind me of Churches in Africa, in the favelas in Sao Paolo (Brazil), in Hoxton (London East End) where the whole congregations would explode into song. Now I did stay around a little for some of the World Cup Final on Sunday night, and it wasn’t good. But the musical interlude at half-time was a distraction. Now I know that I was again somewhat ignorant of the musical content. A screaming Madonna on a car didn’t lift my heart. But nothing spoke to me and only got in the way of the football. Some did say that the LOVE aspect was an antidote to some of the political policies of the Donald but I didn’t get that! Americanisms had taken over. And commercialism was supreme. That shouldn’t be allowed. 

Seamus Ahearne osa 22 July 2026. 

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