Moonlight Magic
The
Addo Elephant Park hosted a piano recital in November 1999. The masterful
playing of world-renowned British pianist, Jonathan Plowright, enthralled local
and international guests.
A
visitor from San Francisco was moved to write this poem:-
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
(Christine
Janselme, November 1998)
The
elephants came in two by two,
Cape
Buffalo, warthogs and even a gnu,
All
to hear the concert.
The
giraffes stretched necks in order to hear,
The
springbok hesitated and then drew near,
All
to hear the concert.
The
audience sat binoculars ready,
Their
heads were cocked, breathing steady,
All
to hear the concert.
The
pianist sat flapping his tails,
Pausing
to watch the covey of quails
Arriving
to hear the concert.
A
rumble came across the water,
An
elephant’s comment that he really ought to
Start
to play the concert.
The
prelude started soft and slow,
Building
gradually to its crescendo
Which
the elephants joined in concert.
The
human audience turned and stared,
Some
of them were even scared
Of
the animals at the concert.
Others
were torn between the two,
Watching
the player of the natural zoo
That
came to hear the concert.
The
dying notes were softly played,
The
wildebeest snickered, the zebra brayed
Their
appreciation of the concert.
Another
piece with dancing beat
Had
the elephants swaying on their feet
In
rhythm with the concert.
Impala
shrugged, their tails a-twitch
With
ears well pricked for every pitch
Of
music in the concert.
A
porcupine snuffled and rattled its quills,
A
background timpani to Chopin’s trills
Never
heard before in concert.
The
last glissando, the final chord
Brought
the audience standing to applaud
The
bravura of the concert.
The
elephants stamped then slipped away,
Never
to forget the night that they
Participated
in a concert.
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