It was seeing Paul McCartney at the opening of the Olympics in London (on TV) that reminded me: I have not yet told you about how I ran into his old buddies John and George a couple of weeks ago.
‘What?’ say you. ‘That’s impossible!’
‘Hush,’ says I. ‘Let me tell the story…’
If you happen to be passing by an old cemetery in my town on a Tuesday evening in July, you may notice a surprisingly large crowd of people gathering. If you ever do – please take the time to join them.
You see, these people aren’t waiting for a funeral, but rather for a resurrection.
Here they come, the team performing miracles:
A theatre group by the name of Ada.
(The name is in honour of a female journalist from about a century ago, whose stories they often use in their cemetery performances.)
I knew from before that they could act, but this time they proved to be quite good singers and musicians as well.
The first to rise from his grave was a man who once upon a time had a big influence on making choir singing popular in this town. Here they sing a classic song about spring and nature:
We also got to meet a female translator from the early 1900s, and a local poet.
Moving on through the town’s cultural history in the 20th century, we were also reminded of some of the great artists who may not have lived here – and aren’t buried here either – but who at some point in history visited this town and left a lasting impression...
On Monday 28th October 1963, the Beatles played in Borås. After three (!) successful concerts in Gothenburg the day before, The Beatles headed for Borås; a short journey about 60 kilometres. The boys spent a couple of hours signing records in a music store in the afternoon. Thousands of fans had found their way there. The Borås concert in the evening was the biggest during their tour in Sweden. 2500 people saw it and the audience screamed and shouted so loud that it was nearly impossible to hear anything. (A common phenomena during The Beatles later concerts around the world…)
Just as we had been reminded (I think I was barely aware of The Beatles back in 1963 – at age eight), an old bus drove up close to us, and… Hello, who is that?
Hello Boraaaaas…
See! I told ya’… They’re back!
John Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980)
George Harrison (5 February 1943 – 29 November 2001)
Afterthought: Linking to Taphophile Tragics
A brilliant post. Iodesl for waking one up and cheering one up!
ReplyDeleteI bet those two ladies in the front would have been throwing their knickers onto the stage in the 1960s!
What a great idea to make use of a beautiful place like a cemetery and at the same time offer people an entertaining glimpse into their town's history!
ReplyDeleteIt is beyond me why those Beatles fans back then took the fun out of the concerts for themselves by screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs.
again and again and again your town amazes me at all the things that happen there on a regular basis. if i were there i would join the crowd for sure.
ReplyDeleteNow I know why CJ/Scriptor was so animated this morning and why Beatles songs were emanating from his laptop. The Beatles were my era in my City and I think that their songs will stand the test of time for another half century yet. I love the idea of the actors bringing the personas of the dead into life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post :) Have a lovely week ahead !
ReplyDeleteLovely! What a great use for a cemetery too!
ReplyDeleteTo use a cemetery as a theatre setting is fascinating! An intriguing post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and a bizarre story.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Looks like a great performance.
ReplyDeleteFelice giornata a te...ciao
ReplyDeleteGreat post. That is something I would have liked to have seen.
ReplyDeleteBeneath Thy Feet
Hah! Most enjoyable. I enjoyed particularly the way your text interweaved with the images. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is so good to see a town that uses its cemetery to bring its past to life. I
suspect it is happening more and more. There are even some events and performances here in Sydney, but there could be more.
Welcome to Taphophile Tragics. Your contribution is most appreciated.
What a fun post. Cemeteries have lots of potential as performance spaces. Particularly loved the two women fans who got into the spirit of the resurrection. Indeed, we will always have their music.
ReplyDelete