Hal Willner 's "Came So Far for Beauty", Brighton, Saturday 22 May 2004 - Sunday 23 May 2004.
By Svend Erik from Denmark.
"How far came I for beauty ? All the way from Denmark to Brighton!
Last year I have been to this fantastic event "Happiness" with Laurie in Stockholm.
And when I saw the news on "Spreken" that there will be a concert "Came so Far for Beauty" an evening of Leonard Cohen Songs with Laurie among lots of others
artists who will interpret Cohen`s songs, I began to plan a tour to Brighton, and
ended up to doing it as an one week holiday on my motorbike.
I started from Esbjerg (DK) the 20- May to Harwich (GB) by ferry, together with a
nice swedish couple,who went on to Spain via Plymouth.
The trip from Harwich to Brighton went smooth, except from some rain and a punctured tyre.
After I was biking the South of England (nice).
It became Sunday the 23-May, the day for the concert, which took place in the beautiful Brighton Dome close to the The Royal Pavillon,
an astounding mix of style, the architect must have point his pen into an oriental
pencil shapener.
I was one of the first to wait outside the two iron gates to the dome, but very soon
the whole pavement was filled with people, mostly aged betwen 30 and 50 year I think.
The concert started 7:30 pm. with the local boy Nick Cave, a very popular guy here.
And then came Laurie, she began the number "The Guests" with an incredible sensitive violin,and singing very soulful.
This was her song in the first part of the show.
In the second part it was "If it will be your will" together with Perla Battala and Julie Christensen, two of Cohen`s "songbirds" for several years.
Very, very intense and the three voices in perfect harmony.
The closing number was an "all together song", and I enjoyed seeing Laurie in this collective act as well.So happy and with energy.
I only wished that Laurie had more than two songs in the almost four hours event.
At last I can tell you, Brighton has lots of tasteless amusements, but this was a
very tasteful one."
Thank you so much, kære Erik!
