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Twilight with a Difference
The
Chiang Rai Twilight Concert was set in the beautiful gardens of local
resort, the Darakorn.
By Jai Pee
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you are sitting
comfortably in a spacious glade on a hillside surrounded by tall trees and
the sounds of chirping birds, rustling insects and gently flowing water.
Imagine further many of the shrubs and bushes coated in twinkling red,
silver, blue and green lights and sets of dimly lit lanterns hanging from
the boughs of the trees. This was the authentically natural and beautifully
unique setting for the annual Chiang Rai Twilight Concert last month.
Preceded by a tour of the wonderful trees and shrubs in the grounds of the
Villa Darakorn and its Arboretum, measuring some eleven rai, guests were
invited to take tea, coffee and light snacks before a delightful selection
of traditional and popular music interspersed by several classical pieces,
presented by the Chiang Rai Youth Orchestra conducted by Paramet Lertkasem.
This was a truly extraordinary event and one to be remembered for a long
time.
As the daylight began to fade, at a little after 5.00
p.m., the thirty or so strong orchestra played a series of short and most
enjoyable pieces including two movements from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite
and the opening movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto with young
players Panawee and Picha as soloists in this challenging work. Of course
there were tense moments, late entries and poorly formed phrases, but who
cared? Here were a group of young and enthusiastic local musicians, all in
different colourful traditional dress, working hard and furiously to bring
wonderful music to a decent-sized audience. Under the firm control of
conductor Paramet, the orchestra played to the very best of its ability and
it was nothing short of a miracle to watch and hear these young people
perform in this magical setting. There were several songs with the
pleasantly agreeable voice of Sivanat Boonnil plus a song from the pen of
His Majesty the King. The eminent British musician, composer and arranger
Richard Harvey, who has associated himself strongly with this group of
musicians, delighted the audience in some of his own compositions mingling
with Thai and Chinese melodies that he performed in a thrilling manner on a
wide range of instruments – such as Thai and Chinese flutes, Chinese ocarina
(Xun), and the clarinet. I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams to
have had the honour and privilege of listening to the andante from
one of Mozart’s final compositions, his incredibly nostalgic and haunting
Clarinet Concerto K622. It brought tears to my eyes when I allowed
myself the luxury of letting my eyes wander around the scene as the wistful
notes of Mozart echoed through the trees. Even the birds stopped chirping to
listen! However, we were in for another shock – could any of you readers
imagine sitting on this darkened hill side in Chiang Rai and being invited
by Daisy to ‘give her your answer, do’? And on a bicycle made for two?!
What a creative and inspired program thanks in no small
degree to eminent musicologist Witaya, adviser to the Bangkok Symphony
Orchestra and whose brief but interesting introduction added to the great
success of this wonderful event. With locally made delicacies of ‘baoze’ (filled
dumplings) in the interval, this was a terrific occasion. Owners of the
Darakorn resort Suphavit Phiampongsant and his wife Pasinee, both of whom
have former distinguished careers, made all the guests welcome and provided
us with excellent facilities and a unique atmosphere that would be hard to
match anywhere. The young musicians, their guest performer Richard and their
conductor rose to the splendour of the occasion magnificently. This was
definitely an occasion of note and all need to be congratulated on making
this event the great success that it was.
For further information about this delightful resort,
contact Suphavit on 081 844 4128 or email: [email protected]
Under The Spotlight
Patrick Moukarzel
By Jai Pee
Patrick Moukarzel is the General Manager of the
prestigious Chedi Hotel in Chiang Mai. At thirty five years old, to have
reached such an elevated post so young is quite an achievement! Patrick was
born in Lebanon, his father Lebanese and his mother French. His early
education was in a Lebanese French school before the family moved when
Patrick was fourteen to the southern French city of Toulouse where he
continued his studies, eventually graduating from the university there in
hotel management.
Patrick
Moukarzel is an enthusiastic proponent of the Chiang Mai Music Festival.
He is a quiet and unassuming man with a broad smile and a
generous personality. He radiates charm in a sincere and welcoming manner
and perhaps this aspect of his character, coupled with his very demanding
job, has led him to become involved with the Chiang Mai Music Festival.
Through him, the Chedi Hotel is one of the major sponsors of the Festival
this year, accommodating the Festival guest artists and hosting the
prestigious cocktail reception and final concert when all the guests of the
Festival will perform. This invitation-only reception will be held around
the spacious and beautiful swimming pool in the grounds of the hotel where
five hundred candles will illuminate the setting, making for a magical
evening on February 20th.
Patrick loves music and usually uses it to help him
concentrate when he is working. But his main interest is football and he is
both a keen player and supporter. This, of course, is very much in the
southern French tradition where teams like Marseilles and Toulouse have
great reputations. But he is also a devoted family man – his wife is Anglo-French
and with their two children, a girl and a boy aged 3 and 6 respectively,
they spend their leisure time on local outings in the countryside, often
camping out overnight before returning to the demands of his work. Patrick
is fluent in a number of languages including French and English, but also
Arabic, having spent several years in the Middle East before coming to
Thailand. After a spell in Phuket, he and the family came to Chiang Mai a
year and a half ago and are now very much part of the community, and a great
asset to the business and commercial life of the city. Of course, the co-founders
of the Chiang Mai Music Festival are delighted and grateful that this
wonderful hotel with its charming manager has so generously agreed to
sponsor the upcoming Festival. Let us hope Patrick and his family will
continue to enjoy their lives in Chiang Mai while enjoying the opportunity
in February of listening to simply beautiful classical music in their
delightful environment.
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