Music and Dance

Wonderful. The Friends of Jordan Festivals held the Amman Springs Series of concerts called Strings and Pianos a few days ago. I was fortunate to attend one of them at the Al Hussein Cultural Center is Ras Al Ein. Friends of Jordan is trying to create a love for classical western music in the capital, but they recognize it is a difficult venture.

The first night had works by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, and the attendance was scarce. The second night was a healthy audience and the score features Brahms and Schumann. The final night featured Rachmaninoff, Chopin (who spent time in Amman) and Dvorak.

The Series was a way of bringing Jordanians that specialize in western music to return to the capital for audience enrichment. All the performers are accomplished in their fields.

The twenty-five year old, Karim Said, is the mainstay of the program. He is an aspiring conductor and a versatile pianist. He recently founded the Da Vinci Players in London.

Alongside the pianos were two violinists, a violist, and cellist. Since Amman does not have great supply or demand for Western music, the tickets were a steal. It is unfortunate that more people are not aware of the great value of entertainment they could receive from such a modest investment of money.

This week and next, I look forward to the Amman Contemporary Dance Festival at the National Center of Culture and Arts. We might as well enjoy these professional performances at these great prices.

Otherwise, Holy Week is upon us. It lives.