Momix peforms to Peter’s "Passion" music in Tallahassee Monday:

On Monday night, Pendleton’s Momix company will perform a dance concert called "Momix: Passion" as part of the Seven Days of Opening Nights arts festival. The "Passion" dances are set to the exotic, Middle East-inspired music Peter Gabriel wrote in 1989 as the soundtrack for the Martin Scorsese film "The Last Temptation of Christ."

"I just loved that score when I first heard it, and I could close my eyes and see the dance," Pendleton said. "(Gabriel) came to the premiere when we performed it in London. . . . He said the dance helped him re-hear the score. He heard it in a new way."

Then Pendleton steered the conversation back to one of his favorite topics – cows.

"You know Peter grew up on a dairy farm in England," Pendleton said. "We had a long talk about Herefords and Holsteins over lunch at his house in Bath. We had mutual dairy interests."

The name Momix, by the way, was taken from a feed supplement given to, what else, cows. He even jokingly refers to himself as a "cow-oeographer" because early films of his work show him running through a field of cows wearing a sheet.

Birds of a feather, I say.

Anyway, also there is an update on Tina’s page on the Moon, with more details about the Torino performance, and the competition results and new competition. Congratulations, Full Moon Goddess on your win! And for those of us who keep trying – Enjoy!

The Full Moon update has been posted, with some stills and video from the Torino rehearsal and backstage, with audio of "Brochette," a piece Peter was working on for FIFA World Cup. It’s a lovely tango tune, and kind of a luscious arrangement.

Have a listen, peek at the moon, and enjoy!!

Peter Gabriel to receive the Frankfurt Music Prize 2006 (Feb 9, 2006)

Kudos to Peter for winning the Frankfort Music Prize for 2006. Last year’s winner was György Ligeti, and previous years’ winners include Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Brian Eno, Georg Solti, Chick Corea, Alfred Brendel, and Briggitte Fassbender. Here is an excerpt from Musikmesse:

Presentation on the occasion of the international Musikmesse

Almost everyone is familiar with his legendary hits, such as ‘Sledgehammer’, ‘Biko’ and ‘Big Time’, and his videos are considered to be milestones in the history of pop culture: Peter Gabriel, rock musician, songwriter and video artist, will be awarded the 2006 Frankfurt Music Prize during the international Musikmesse. He was singled out for the prize because, with his creative work, his appearances and his support for young talents, he laid a vital founda-tion stone for the future of rock and pop music. With this choice, the jury is honouring him as a leading musician on the European rock-music scene, for his musical achievements and his artistic and social activities. The prize will be presented by the Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Petra Roth, at a ceremony in Frankfurt on the eve of the Musikmesse (28 March).

Congratulations, Peter!!

It’s cold in Torino, but Peter Gabriel worked some lovely, warm magic with John Lennon’s "Imagine" tonight at the Torino 2006 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. He played a grand piano while Ged played drums and David Rhodes played – BASS. There was some bass sound apparently contributed by Tony Levin. It was a lovely rendition, accompanied by orchestra.

It then occurred to me that this is the combo Peter has mentioned when musing about a tour in the future, scaled down… it was an interesting thought at the time.

Now, in the interest of sartorial intrigue, all three men were dressed warmly, in black. Ged was sporting a furry incredible hat – and Peter and David wore black do rags. I hope those thin fabrics kept them warm – I think Ged got the better warmth deal on the hat front.

If you’ve a mind to, you can check out the forums for a link to a video of the performance. If you really can’t find it, email me and I can tell you where it is.