Last night the NZSO played the "world premiere" of a piece of music composed by a NZ university music tutor.
Michael Williams had for some time been interested in how ancient civilizations have viewed the universe, earth and humankind's place within it. Scientific discovery now makes it unfashionable to believe that the sky is a physical vault, a dome over the world, with the universe lying beyond.
His composition for orchestra and solo oboe was entitled Piercing the Vault and sought to portray musically the underlying ideas which he found beautiful, intriguing and somewhat mysterious.

It is fun that you can use music in this way… to paint sound pictures, write tonal poems, share ideas without using words, give impressions, arouse emotions and seemingly transport the soul to other worlds of experience.

Yes, it did that for me.
His composition was modern and therefore contained some of those discordant and seemingly unrelated sound clashes that seem to be a feature of the times, but it was interesting and intriguing too. Well, to me anyway.
I heard the rush of energy as asteroids and meteorites sped towards the vault, the glancing blows, the penetration of a few, the weirdness and spookiness of the unknown in the outer beyond, the yearnings of earthbound life crying out to the Great Creator over all, some bouncing from the dome to ripple around the globe and fade as echoes eventually do.
It was like a spiritual adventure.

The orchestra, conductor, the talented young oboe virtuosa, and the composer all got great applause.
But not everyone clapped.
The elderly lady just along from me leaned across and said at least "What a handsome young man that oboe player is!" and yes, that too. I would have to admit that he was almost as dishy as the concertmaster. And that's saying something!

But then followed Grieg's absolutely brilliant Piano Concerto in A Minor, 29 minutes of excellence by the French pianist Pascal Roges who also likes Norah Jones. He rode the piano. And he talked to himself as he played. Yes, he really did! I was sitting in the cheapy seats right up the front, and he was right in front of me. He was counting - in French, of course. I read his lips.
It was the first time he had played that concerto in public, and for a first time it was not all bad.
My heart was in my mouth right at the end, though. It was exhilarating and he almost fell right off the stool. No kidding! He was half on, half off, and we were electrified. The applause was terrific.

Well, my cat is learning her lesson in tolerance.
She is getting much better at coping with Beethoven and Mendelssohn.
Since it is either humour my tastes in music and thereby have the heater to snuggle up against, or move out of earshot and go cold, she is really coming along quite well.
But I am wondering when I should introduce her to Grieg.
However, I think it may be a while before she manages to cope with the piercing of any vaults. I doubt that she would care much for such a spiritual adventure.
At least, not yet.