ENTERTAINMENT NEWS - The Mother Church in George became a playground of sound and imagination on 6 September when acclaimed cellist and all-round musician Francois le Roux, better known by his stage name HA!Man, presented an improvisation recital organised by the George Music Society.
This follows four years after his previous improvisation concert at the same venue in 2022.
From the opening three-part keyboard improvisation, inspired by the sound of a vibraphone, Le Roux demonstrated his ability to transform the smallest musical idea into something entirely unexpected.
His performance moved effortlessly between cello, piano, recorder, kalimba and pipe organ.
Soulful cello melodies were accompanied by mouth percussion and rhythmic tapping on the instrument, while pre-recorded sounds provided springboards for further improvisation.
Francois le Roux (right) on cello with Jovan Rocher.
An African-inspired soundscape developed into a vibrant kwela on the pipe organ, while a young audience member joined Le Roux for a Handel passacaglia, over which the cellist created a moving counter-melody.
The mood shifted from the profound to the playful as Le Roux followed Mendelssohn’s Wedding March with a comic dance involving colourful rags.
He ended by inviting the audience to choose a hymn. Their choice, Lied 511, became the basis for a series of melancholic variations.
“It was again a delight to experience his art, less exotic this time,” said Gerrit Jordaan, a member of the George Music Society.
“He tapped from the intimate delicate breath of his soul. It was good to see a younger audience totally absorbed into this newly created place of realised improvisation where anything is possible.” - An adaption of a review by Gerrit Jordaan
Francois le Roux
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