The String Sillies are the latest in a “string” of (ahem) corny-concerto ensembles that blend mod-pop with class opuses. Nothing new in that, but some use this as an opportunity to let their long hair down, and others just pin it higher up.
Pretty obvious by their name what the String Sillies do. They twirl their instrument and cover candy-rock tunes and eat cheese sprayed from a can while they play.
What we guess is remarkable about this ensemble is that they don’t play very well. They play poorly enough for non-classical lovers to really notice that fact. The devil-may-care, self-deprecating attitude is a cliche in club-classical circles, but we hadn’t noticed before now that there are generally high performance standards involved. Even when The String Sillies do a four-chord rock cover there’s something off about it, a lack of understanding, and even with this light material they’re missing notes.
These are trained musicians, we’re told—all music majors at the college on the hill.
Is this what conductors are for? We never knew before. Do conductors provide oomph and tone and harmony? Do they foment a shared purpose?
We’d like to see The String Sillies with a conductor. It’d unify them. It’d also give them a target for their cheese.
Tonight: George Streetsign at the Bullfinch, all new set…