Procol Harum at Copenhagen, Denmark

Review by Torben Bille • 14 January 2011

Procol Harum classic

Fruen og jeg havde lige fortrængt, at det var en såkaldt nytårskoncert. Lidt af et clash i forhold til Procol Harum, for er der noget, det band aldrig har stået for, er det tilrettelagt løssluppenhed med sjove hatte og truthorn. Når det er sagt, skal også siges, at det kunne have været meget værre i Falkoner Salen, som forekom ret gråsprængt.

My wife and I had just forgotten that it was a so-called New Year concert. Quite a paradox in Procol Harum's case, for if there is something that band have never stood for, it's planned frivolity with funny hats and kazoos. That said, it could also be added that could have been much worse than it was, given the greyish demographic in the Falconer Hall.

Nytårsfejringen med en uhyre veloplagt, generationsironiserende og croonende Hans Otto Bisgaard som toastmaster for et fællessangsrepertoire med bl.a. ‘We’ll Meet Again’ var bare en prolog til koncerten med Gary Brooker og hans band.

The New Year celebrations (with a very invigorated, crooning Hans Otto Bisgaard – making fun of the various generations – as toastmaster for a sing-along repertoire with, among others, We'll Meet Again) were a mere prologue to the concert with Gary Brooker and his band.

Sidst de spillede med DR Underholdningsorkestret og DR VokalEnsemblet var i Ledreborg i 2006. Det ville være synd at sige, at vi “sailed for parts unknown to man”. På papiret var der nemlig i mangt og meget tale om en genopførelse af den seance, men så alligevel ikke.

The last time they played with DR Underholdningsorkesteret and DR VokalEnsemblet was in Ledreborg in 2006. I would have been wrong to say that we "sailed for parts unknown to man" because on paper it promised to be in many ways a re-performance of that event: but it was absolutely not.

Koncertsalen gav en ny fortættethed, både i klangen og i koncentrationen, som i 2006 havde lidt svært ved at konkurrere med picnicstemningen og sommersolskinnet, der aldrig har været i overflod i Brookers sinistre sange.

The concert hall gave a new density, both in sound and concentration, which in 2006 had had some problems competing with the picnic mood and summer sunshine, which have never been prime ingredients of Brooker's dark-hued songs.

Gary Brooker var, kort fortalt, i storform i aftes. Ikke mindst vokalt.

Gary Brooker was, in a nutshell, in great form tonight: not least vocally.

Ved siden af sig havde han sin mangeårige, smukt underspillende guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (med en fortid i If), den funky bassist Matthew Pegg (søn af Dave Pegg fra Fairport Convention), den elegante organist Josh Phillips samt ikke mindst den nye trommeslager Geoffrey Dunn med spisepindefatning og et rytmisk attack næsten som salig BJ Wilson.

By his side he had, as for many years, the nicely underplaying guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (whose roots go back to If), the funky bass player Matthew Pegg (son of Dave Pegg from Fairport Convention), the elegant organ player Josh Phillips, and not at least the new drummer Geoffrey Dunn, with his chopstick grip and a rhythmic attack almost like that of the late BJ Wilson.

Indspilningen med Edmonton Symphony Orchestra og Da Camera Singers fra november 1971 byggede på orkestreringer af Gary Brooker, og de har siden tjent som blueprint for rockgruppers ekskursioner udi det klassiske og som fundament for Procol Harums lejlighedsvise projekter med større orkestre. Men samarbejdet med dirigent David Firman og DR-ensemblerne udvider musikken.

The recording with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Da Camera singers from November 1971 was based on orchestration by Gary Brooker, and they have since then served as a blueprint for rock group excursions into the classical arena, and as foundation for Procol Harum's sporadic projects with larger orchestras. The collaborations with conductor David Firman and the DR ensembles further expands the music.

Firman nøjes nemlig ikke med at akkompagnere. Med gefühl og overblik inviterer han Brooker (og lytterne) til at gå på opdagelse i gammelkendt stof.

Firman doesn't restrict himself to accompanying. With his feeling and supervision he invites Brooker (and the listeners) on a journey of re-discovery through well-known material

Resultatet var i aftes både subtilt og sublimt. Og lyden var så upåklagelig som Hans Otto Bisgaards smoking. Og helt uden den bombastiske quasi-klassicisme, der er bagsiden af Edmonton-pladen.

The result was tonight both subtle and sublime. And the sound was impeccable, just like Hans Otto Bisgaard's evening dress. And it completely lacked the bombastic quasi-classicism of the Edmonton record.

F.eks. er det dristigt og givende at nedtone orglet på ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ (som ikke er med på Edmonton) til fordel for et meget smukt strygerforspil, som førte os ind i det, Brooker kaldte “wonderland”. Og at lade guitarriffet på ‘Simple Sister’ erstatte af fløjte og tromboner må have virket sakrosant på de tilstedeværende palers. De tog det nu pænt.

For instance it is bold and rewarding to play down the organ on A Whiter Shade of Pale (which is not on the Edmonton set) in favour of the beautifully-played string introduction, which led us into what Brooker called "wonderland". And to have the guitar riff of Simple Sister replaced by flute and trombones must have seemed sacrilege [though the article says 'sacrosanct'] to the Palers present. But they took it in good spirit.

Andre store øjeblikke: En åndeløs, tilbagelænet udgave af ‘Homburg’ og en ‘Broken Barricades’ med indbygget stryger-suspense samt ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, som igen bekræfter, at Brooker som balladekomponist er i Elton John-klassen. Og ‘Sympathy for The Hard of Hearing’ (fra Brookers 1982-album) er og bliver et af de mest frugtbare møder mellem rocken og det klassiske tonesprog. At det så samtidig er Brookers kommentar til ældre mænds ret til at sende unge i krig (“We lose them/confuse them/abuse them”) gør ikke Procol Harum mindre aktuel.

Other great moments: a breathtaking, laid back version of Homburg and a Broken Barricades with built-in string suspense and The Emperor's New Clothes, which again confirms that Brooker is a ballad composer in the Elton John league. And Symphathy for the Hard of Hearing (from Brooker's 1982 album) is and will always be one of the most fruitful meeting between the sound worlds of rock and classical music. That it's also Brooker's comment on old men's right to send the young into war ("We lose them / confuse them / abuse them!) doesn't make Procol Harum any less current.

Eneste indvending: Hvorfor benyttede man ikke lejligheden til at opføre Brooker & Reids mini-requiem ‘In Held Twas In I’? Den kunne nemt have erstattet truthornene i starten.

Only objection: why didn't they use this opportunity to perform Brooker & Reid's mini-requiem In Held 'Twas In I? It could have replaced the kazooing at the outset.

Procol Harum og DR-ensemblerne gentager seancen i aften og på søndag. Og spiller derefter en uge i Jylland. Der er ved at være ret udsolgt. Det forstår man godt.

Procol Harum and the DR ensembles will repeat the performance tonight and Sunday, and after that they play for a week in Jutland. It's almost sold out – one can easily understand why.

En koncert som denne er det bedste argument mod den lukning af DR-ensemblerne, som rockister og populister af og til ynder at lufte.

A concert like this is the best argument against the closure of the DR ensembles, which it sometimes pleases rockers and populists to suggest.

trans. Jens / Roland

Procol dates in 2011