The Pastoral Symphony

A few weeks back I received an email from the restaurant where we went for our Christmas dinner. They were accepting reservations, not for the restaurant, but for tables at Pornprapha Gardens for the first ever appearance of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra in Pattaya.  I didn't want to pass up this opportunity to hear the symphony.  By the time I contacted them for a table, however, they were already booked.  But we could still attend the concert, so Tim kindly agreed to give up his Sunday afternoon and go with me.  Sunday is usually our driver's day off, but we were able to give him Saturday off instead.  And maybe best of all, the concert was free.  They would be accepting donations with proceeds going to Hand To Hand, a group that ministers to the underprivileged and at-risk children of Pattaya.

Mick had not heard of Pornprapha Gardens before, nor had any of his fellow drivers.  So I printed off a couple of maps (figuring out how to print the labels in Thai for him), and we were on our way.  He often uses percentages to describe the certainty of something, and said he knew the way "70%."  The venue was probably about 40 minutes away, the route taking us past the big, man-made lake called Map Prachan.  Soon Mick was "100% sure" when we saw the cars and buses pulling into a park not far from the lake.


The grounds of Pornprapha Gardens are beautiful - a large pond at the entrance is home to a dragon and flock of birds caught in midflight.

http://www.kingdomproperty.com/

A nice, paved walk lined with meticulously-pruned greenery lead to the small outdoor amphitheater where stone, tiered seats faced the stage.  We arrived early enough that we easily found seats on the shady side and settled in with a crossword while awaiting the concert.  Another multinational event, with many Thai and non-Thai in attendance, the seats filled up quickly.  Several plastic chairs had been arranged on either side of the stage with signs reading, "For the elderly or disabled."  They sat empty for the most part, so a few minutes before the concert began, a gentleman invited people to move down into those chairs if they wished.  We wished!  It was a nice location to enjoy the concert.

Before the concert began, a harsh woman with a dictatorial German accent took the mic, ringing a hand bell to get everyone's attention.  She said the concert would be starting in ten minutes, "so please take your seats now!"  She repeated her demands twice more over the next ten minutes, then gave a very long-winded and self-congratulatory explanation of how this event was brought to Pattaya.  Then, a gentleman she credited as the reason for their success took the mic and was equally long-winded.  We were sympathetic to the poor young lady who was trying to interpret their speeches into Thai.  Then the mayor came to the mic and she struggled to reverse-interpret for the farangs.  It made me appreciate the fact that ASL interpreters don't have to wait for people to stop talking before they can begin interpreting!

The mayor of Nong Prue and
the interpreter

Once the concert began, all else was forgotten.  The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra is a young, 90-member ensemble made up of musicians from over fifteen countries.  They gave their inaugural performance in June of 2005, and their home is Prince Mahidol Hall in Bangkok.                                                                                                                           We enjoyed a wide variety of music, from Strauss waltzes, to operatic arias, some great jazz pieces composed by the King himself (no, not Elvis), and some popular musical numbers.  Some of the soloists were good, and a few were excellent.  One young man was ill-suited to attempt a Frank Sinatra classic.  I especially appreciated another soloist's performance of Largo al Factotum from the Barber of Seville and the two who performed the duet The Prayer.   The richness of the sound coming from the chairs on stage was what we savored most, and I am hoping this will not be their last visit to Pattaya.

The crowd was a bit rough around the edges for a classical concert, but I imagine this might have been a first for some of them.  People were frequently walking right in front of the performers during their songs.  One knucklehead in particular fancied himself a cameraman filming a documentary, and was practically in the faces of the singers with his camera.  He was quite rude and distracting, but we ain't in Kansas anymore, are we?  I found a few videos posted on Youtube from the concert, if you're interested.  You can see the yahoo I referred to in one of them (I guess he's a big Phantom fan.)

Youtube videos of the concert 

The concert organizers took the mic once again at the end of the concert, and we seized the opportunity to head toward the exit.  Mick pulled up with the car just as we reached the parking lot, beating the crowds, and we were quickly on our way.

We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant called Louis (I fondly thought of my newest great-nephew!)  The place had been recommended to us and it did not disappoint.  I had the set dinner, which included a delicious soup, a chicken and mushroom entree, and ice cream with fresh fruit for dessert for under ten dollars. Tim had a nice soup and salad.  Delicious food and excellent service put the exclamation point on a lovely day.