It’s wonderful to read that everyone attending the New Music Indaba in Grahamstown and its first extension for a weekend of performances in Johannesburg had such a stimulating time. However, this often did not include the paying public or the musicians — many from abroad.
During the second day of the indaba’s activities, in Grahamstown, an embarrassing occurrence made headlines at the festival. Two Dutch composers, Jurgen Brauniger and Matteo Fargion, were ready to talk on a public platform to Dr Michael Blake, the indaba’s main induna, about composing and related subjects.
Blake did not pitch because he ”was not available”, but the event was never officially cancelled.
The international guests were not informed, neither was the public nor Cue, the festival newspaper.
After waiting a while, the audience members left. Worst of all, they did not receive a refund for their tickets.
As the indaba progressed the malaise continued. The Sontonga Quartet from Cape Town was one of the unhappy groups of musicians. Prior to the indaba the group had to wait a long time for a contract to arrive and then had to pester Blake about many basics before committing themselves.
Their first concerts in Grahamstown were chaotic, with kids sans an inkling of what concerts are about sitting in the front rows. They should have been briefed beforehand.
The quartet was not happy with Blake’s personal dislike of Gorecki’s String Quartet No 2. It is inappropriate for a director to react punitively due to personal taste differences and musicians should always have the leeway to choose a fitting work themselves. The lack of programme notes on many works, owing to Blake’s losing them, is a no-no.
Things did not improve in Johannesburg. Some concerts were cancelled or shifted, while groups such as the Bow Project, recorded by the SABC in the Wits Atrium, nearly started their performance without any seats for the audience in place. The musicians had to drag in chairs. At Wits many overseas musicians had to carry their instruments due to a lack of infrastructure. Attendance, to cap it all, at these concerts was a joke.