Herr - Fire & Glass - A Norwood Tragedy [Cold Spring - 2007]The burning down of the crystal palace in Victoriana London was one of the great disasters and architecture loss of the age. Here Neo-Classical Project Herr try and recapture the wonder of this astonishing glass and steel structure and it’s ultimate destruction with this new ep. The Four tracks are built mainly around elegant and beautiful piano playing, embellished and lifted here and there by authentic string grace and power. With dramatic and highly descriptive spoken word by Troy Southgate over the top detailing Crystal palace grand opening, it’s fiery and melting demise, and pondering it loss in today’s modern London. And they really do manger to recapture some of the wonder and the awe of the building, getting as close as one possible to being there in the flesh. If you shut your eyes you can almost see it’s grand and ornate structure glinting in the sunlight, surrounded by the great, good minds and rich of the time, in all their finery, mixing with the builders and labours of the palace. It’s also a perfect length in it’s ep form never overstretching the idea or concept one inch. A clever, wordy and dramatic musically and text re-enactment of this great wonder and loss, executed perfectly by one of the most effective neo-Classical acts around. Roger Batty
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