Unorthodox Church

The drive down to Kuala Lumpur for the weekend was cheerful and bright. Seeing the blue of the skies and green of the trees was refreshing and brought feelings of gratitude. It was a busy day rushing to arrive in Kl city center in time to collect my phone from the service centre before it closed...

after which I chanced upon this surprise tucked somewhere in Brickfields: an Orthodox Syrian Church. Who knew! From the look of it, I'm guessing it's been here for 20 years. I've met one or two Muslim Syrians (oddly at clubs) but I've yet to meet a member of this community here.

The symphony was exceptionally satisfying. I took a gamble this week as the choice of music was unfamiliar but boy, was it worth it! Schwantner's Percussion Concerto is among the most riveting things I've ever heard. It had me spellbound as about 40 different percussion instruments weaved themselves into the orchestra producing a kaleidoscope of sounds ranging from exciting to maddening, depressing to joyful. I absolutely love it! Then came Prokofiev's 5th Symphony, a composer I rarely understand. This was gloriously dusturbing. :D The programme notes state that it is "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit", and research tells me that it's victorious and heroic. I'm no Prokofiev expert, but I found it contradictory, satirical, sarcastic and ultimately hopeless as if it were meant to please the Soviet socialist realism "regime" while backhandedly saying "YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL".