On 9 May I (Sheila) went with my old friends Roxanne and Joan to an unusual concert at a Mennonite church in Burnaby, and we were treated to the music of the Recycled Orchestra from Cateura, Paraguay. It was one of those concerts where the music is so much fun to listen to that the evening just flies by. They make all their instruments – flutes, saxophones, cellos, drums, violins and many more – with stuff they find in the garbage dump (although I think bows and reeds are purchased). The front of the violin in this picture is the inside of a paint can that has been cut open, and the back is an aluminium cake pan. If you look carefully at the violin you can see a few other familiar household objects. Here is a link to a 3-minute trailer for a planned documentary film about this remarkable orchestra – it’s well worth watching.
