Delhi
With the Ensemble having returned safe and sound, Kate Birchall shares her thoughts on the final stretch of the Ensemble’s tour:
I’ll never forget the scorching wind that greeted us as we got off the plane in Delhi. Hotter than the sun on my skin, I could well believe that it was blowing straight from the Rajasthan desert.
I was dying of impatience when our check-in at the hotel in New Delhi was taking forever, it was already 4pm and the Red Fort was closing at 6pm… Finally we’re on our way to Old Delhi, being driven sedately in an Ambassador taxi with Laurie trying to learn a few more words in Hindi from the driver. Close to the fort he arranges for us to complete the journey by bicycle rickshaw as the traffic and parking means he can’t get any closer.
Richard Bissil on a Rickshaw
I’d thought the automated rickshaws in Mumbai were bad but here the poor fellow cycling has almost no acceleration and can barely get us up an incline in the road. All the while we’re negotiating three or four lanes of chaotic traffic.
The Red Fort surpasses expectations, though you can see how it was badly damaged during British occupation. The elegant marble arches, intricate screens and inlaid decorations give an idea of how beautiful it would have been at the time of the Mughals.
Inside The Red Fort
We didn’t know ourselves the morning of the final workshop when we were shown into the purpose-built, air-conditioned auditorium at the British Council. For once we had a fighting chance of our instruments staying in tune and of being heard as there was no background noise.
The audience was impressive, hand picked from a number of schools I suspect. With almost all of them already playing instruments, they picked up rhythms and answered questions with ease.
Workshop audience in Delhi
We had our Bollywood moment afterwards when they all stormed up onstage wanting our autographs and photographs. It was great to finally meet the youngsters themselves, as the regimentation in the two previous schools had meant that we didn’t get a chance to talk to them.
Players pose for photos with workshop audience
Whilst this trip has very much been ‘India Lite’, with fantastic back- up of luxury hotels and private buses, I still feel we’ve managed to get a flavour of India and some of the extremes that make it such a fascinating country.
