This band is set to bring "contemporary music" into the 3rd millennium AD.
One of John Adams' dreams, as foreshadowed in his Harmonielehre, is to end all the musical confrontations of neo-this and anti-that; and to end the gulf between Art-music and Pop-music.
Having heard this band for the first time at the Arts Centre Lunch Time Recital, today, I can say that the S H Warriors are fulfilling John Adams' dream.
Their music is in the Post-Minimalist style of Adams, with minimum notes, maximum energy. But, unlike some of today's Pop groups, their energy is not devoted to unthinking ear-destroying cacophony. For these young musicians listen to each other. I could see it in their eyes and hear it in their music; for every note- every percussion strike - was made for a reason. The show was magnificent - and it was a show in which not only their music, but their personalities came across, visibly as well as aurally! Their "songs" (as they call them) were all about 4 minutes long and had some message about nature e.g.;
Happy Mouse, Chicken, Tribal Girl, Snake Charmer and- (almost as if they had known about John Adams) - Inter-planetary Love.
I am designing a concert (hypothetical for the time being) and - if I can persuade them to compromise slightly on their name (say; The Peaceful Warriors) they will be starring alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and others.
Look to the stars and you will see these warriors.
Jim Trueman, Tuesday, 19 October 1999