Jacques Loussier Trio

I have just got home from going to the farewell tour (of New Zealand, at least) of the Jacques Loussier Trio. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to; they were amazing. Sooooooo cool. They play 'crossover' music, as in classical and baroque music played in a jazzy way. It sounds like it could be done very badly but what they do with it is fantastic. It's the perfect summer music to listen to. They're probably most famous for what they've done with Bach's music. Tonight they played Bach, Vivaldi, Satie and Ravel. Jacques Loussier is the pianist while Andre Arpino is the drummer and Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac is the bassist (yup, they're French). They all did some improvised solos within the music that I know so well from playing it loudly whenever I cook, and that was probably the best bit. The double bassist was incredible, I've never heard anything like it. It was slightly annoying that the town hall wasn't full for it as they are probably one of the best acts ever to come to Christchurch. And the Christchurch crowd have a thing with clapping between movements of one piece and clapping too soon at the end of a piece (okay, so it's not a mortal sin, but the transition between some movements is totally spoiled when people succumb to their enthusiasm). But we gave them a standing ovation at the end and clapped for ages, and even my Dad stood up!

Afterwards, in the foyer, they signed programmes and CDs. I was one of the first people to line up, but soon, people just started shoving in around the table and pushing in. I am sorry to say that most of the pusher-inners were old people! It's like people think, okay, manners are nice and useful and great for creating a civilised society... except when you really want something. It annoys me that I have spent a whole childhood hearing adults talk about how the world's going downhill and how young people have no respect, when I was about the only person in the line who wasn't shoving my elbows into other people's places in the queue. I've grown up being strictly taught that morals and good behaviour are not reserved for when it's easy, but are most important when you really want to go against them. I've read it in books like Jane Eyre and Harry Potter, for goodness' sake. But when it comes to a simple queue to get autographs, people drop all their politeness before you can say "civilisation"? I wonder what would happen if it were something that really mattered. So, to the majority of middle-aged and elderly people who came to the Jacques Loussier Trio concert in the Town Hall at 8pm on 16 October 2006: my respect in you is officially diminished.