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Why did Houston take such a risk on a JMJ concert?


Post Posted Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:54 pm
Richard-Eastham


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Given that Place de la Concorde was his only previous outdoor show at that time, and it happened seven years’ earlier, how, and why did Houston get in touch and then agree to a show format that was pretty much untested, and indeed, ‘dated’ by this point? I know he was approached by the Houston Opera, and Mayor Kathy Whitmore was key to this project, and then NASA got involved. But it still seems like a rather random approach to an artist not widely known in America and with extraordinarily little live experience. Big risk!
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01.09.93 Manchester / 07.06.97 Manchester / 30.03.08 London / 22.05.09 London / 10.10.10 London / 01.07.11 Monaco / 04.05.16 London / 23.07.16 Macclesfield / 06.10.16 Brighton / 07.10.16 London.
Post Posted Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:06 pm
shadow


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I think it was in part because of McNair who was supposed to record the piece for Dernier Rendez-Vous in space, but we all know how that ended. But outside of that, the exact details I have no idea. I do recall that the plans at some point were almost scrapped, but were continued in respect of the fallen. I'm sure someone knows the exact details.
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Post Posted Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:53 am
Richard-Eastham


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Interesting - I wonder if the musical link with Ron McNair actually came first? And it was simply be a musical project, without any connected concert? But only later, the idea of the concert came along? And it grew from there? I always thought the concert idea was the beginning of the project, and then the link with Ron came later.

I would love to know more. I think it was when I attended the Q+A session at the Guardian newspaper offices in May 2016, JMJ said he could write a whole book just about that one project in Houston. I wish he would!
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01.09.93 Manchester / 07.06.97 Manchester / 30.03.08 London / 22.05.09 London / 10.10.10 London / 01.07.11 Monaco / 04.05.16 London / 23.07.16 Macclesfield / 06.10.16 Brighton / 07.10.16 London.







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