The Art of Fireworks 08/07/2006 I used to think I knew about public firework displays. Throughout the old British Empire, November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day, a time when fireworks are set off by small boys determined on their own destruction and people gather in groups to watch displays presented by those in the know.Not that I went to many public fireworks displays. Generally we were content to collect as many rockets, catherine wheels, roman candles and sparklers as we could afford and then have our own little party in the backyard on the appropriate night. Oh yes, I thought I knew about fireworks.I did go to one public fireworks display after we came to England but what I remember from it is not the fireworks; they were the usual things, rockets and fountains of sparks, only a little more impressive than our own. What stays with me is the burning of the guy.Of course, I knew the tale of Guy Fawkes, how he had been arrested just before carrying out his plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, been convicted of treason and burned at the stake. And I knew that our Bonfire Night was a celebration of his failure and the continuation of British democracy. But I don't think I had ever thought about the reality of the story until that night in Milton Keynes (we were visiting friends and they had dragged us off to see the show).In the center of a large open field, the organizers had built a great mound of timber, old furniture, cardboard and anything that would burn. On top we could see the shape of the guy, that effigy that was supposed to represent the old miscreant. Against the black of the night sky, he was a vague presence but only dimly perceived and I presumed he would be much like the scarecrow figures that were once towed through the streets in a toy cart by children shouting, "Penny for the guy, penny for the guy!"Then the bonfire was lit and, by the light of the flames, we could see the guy properly. I was horrified. He was a much more lifelike representation than I had ever seen before. In the flickering light he looked so real that he might almost have been moving. As the fire grew quickly to reach up to his legs, the full horror of this ancient punishment hit with a force that sickened me. This was the reality that we had celebrated so thoughtlessly for so many years.I did not go to any public fireworks displays after that. Come the millennium, I saw the displays in London and Sydney on television and was not overawed. Just a bigger version of the same old thing, I thought, perhaps a little more co-ordinated but much the same even so.Then I came to a little town named Danvers in Massachusetts and was dragged off to see the Fourth of July fireworks in the park. At least there would be no guy, I thought; I can live through this. Little did I know what was in store.There were thousands waiting on the grass for the display as we arrived in the evening. We found a good spot and slotted our blanket in between the patchwork quilt of others, then sat and waited. A band was playing, helping to pass the time until the moment arrived.And when the time came, the lights were turned off and all eyes went to the open space in the center and the fire truck that stood in attendance. With a roar of rockets, the show began.In those first few seconds, I was captivated. There was music and the fireworks were perfectly timed and matched to complement it. Crescendoes of sound and light mingled to form a display such as I had never imagined before. This was how it should always have been. I settled back to take it all in.I do not know who designed the fireworks and their order that night but the man is a genius. Not even in Disney's film, Fantasia, were music and vision so beautifully combined. Exploding universes of light sprang forth and multiplied, weeping willows of golden fire poured down upon us, perfect circles of rubies and emeralds hung suspended and then winked out, molecular diagrams of complex formation spread themselves across the dark backdrop, great crashes of cannon fire reverberated deep in our chests, and all the time the music mounted and ebbed, creating and blending with the incredible display. And, in the blackness behind, the smoke trails formed white-blue spiders and hydras, waterfalls and blossoms. On and on it went, the music changing from pop to rock and then to classical, and in the sky the lights echoed it and completed it.The final piece was the Boston Pops Orchestra's version of the 1812 Overture. The irony of the strains of the French and Russian national anthems ringing out on the Fourth of July was not lost on me, but this paled into insignificance in the triumphal crescendo of this finale. As the explosions of the rockets occupied precisely those moments when Tchaikovsky had intended cannon fire, I had to recognize that I was held by an art form, one so immediate that I could not tear my senses away.So spellbound had I been that I was unable to join in the applause and yells of approval that punctuated every pause between pieces; I was too impatient for the next to begin. But, as the last concentration of bangs and thumps died away at the end, I could not help it - I clapped until my hands stung.Suddenly I find myself a fan of fireworks displays and I cannot wait for the next Fourth of July. It is just as I said of their museums: when the Americans decide to do something, they do it properly!Technorati tags: Fireworks displays; Fourth of July; Danvers.
Clive
Way Us yanks got you hooked now! Mwhaha! Say, I have heard of this Guy, but only brief bits here and there, and really had no idea of any of it. I can certainly understand the repugnance you must have felt, seeing such a display as that, but to imagine its deserved horror is beyond me. I can appreciate learning from your account, though. As to your blanket on the evening of the fourth -- sir, you paint the night as well as a Whistler, another expatriot I know a little of. Date Added: 08/07/2006
Gone Away Thank you, Way - you are too kind.
That night at the burning of the guy certainly brought home to me how much more brutal were our ancestors than we are. But it is to be expected, I suppose - they were much closer to the realities of life and their span was generally shorter. In those days an execution was an entertainment; now we go to the movies and watch hundreds despatched by a Rambo or a Terminator... Date Added: 08/07/2006
Way We (us so-civilized yanks) are not all that far-removed from all that, Gone. Delve around deep enough, and you will find lots of photographs showing what our kin did just mere decades ago, instead of staying home and watching fake mayhem on the teevee: public hangings. The people, from the ones I have seen, do appear excited to be counted, as well as impatient to get on with the next show. Date Added: 08/07/2006
Gone Away Very true, Way. They called them "necktie parties", I believe. Date Added: 08/07/2006
Liz Strauss I had the pleasure of attending a Guy Fawkes celebration in a village outside of Oxford with friends I know well. It was your experience in reverse. How surprising to realize that this is what fireworks meant to them. Quaint. Small. Familial. Where I grew up every year the finale was a waterfall of brilliant white fireworks off the bridge that crossed the junction where the Fox and Illinois Rivers meet. How I lived for that moment! I can believe your sense of surprise and awe. Your writing capture every bit of it. (For a second there, you sounded a bit like me. :D ) Thank you for this love piece, Sir Clive of the Fireworks. Date Added: 09/07/2006
Gone Away And thank you, Liz. You know, your mention of Oxford reminded me of Mr Tolkien, for that was where he lived. And all through this piece, Tolkien's Gandalf from Lord of the Rings hovered in the background of my mind, for he supposed to be a master of fireworks. Now I wonder whether Tolkien had any idea of just how good a fireworks display can be and whether he gave Gandalf the ability to put on a display to rival the American equivalent! Date Added: 09/07/2006
keeef I think you have been absent from the fireworks arena for to long. I have seen some truly breathtaking firework displays in both blighty and Oztrailya. Of course there is no doubt in my mind that the American display was bigger, louder and brighter than the more reserved English affair with its pinstriped explosions and cheers of 'bally good show wot' or the antipodean 'just blow em all up from the back of the ute' style but i feel your reluctance to attend such events may have given you a jaded view of the brilliance of the extravaganza that you witnessed. Firework displays have most definately come a long way in the last twenty years as more and more events see them as the defining end to the evening. I feel you would benefit from attending one of the many stately home events where they blow up the wealth of a small nation to classical music on the lawn of a bankrupt minor royal or from one of the many Jazz and wine evenings that pervade the vinyards of rural Oztrailya where the evening is finally laid to rest by a determined (and often demented) winemaker trying to drown out the final few Jazz tunes by igniting enough gunpowder to make North Korea feel impotent. I have, however, witnessed an even more breath taking spectacle and that is a light show of laser generated singing aquatic mamals set to opera, accompanied by fireworks....now that takes some beating and was probably responsible for several fatalities amongst the LSD community Date Added: 10/07/2006
Mad How very dare you! Gandalf's firework displays are the best ever seen. I have it on good authority from a hobbit. "probably responsible for several fatalities amongst the LSD community" lmoa Keef Date Added: 10/07/2006
fragileindustries Welcome to America, Gone. Reading your description made me all tingly and patriotic. I've always been a huge fan of fireworks. Well, not the first time; I was timid as a small child and the noise of the massive show at the Rose Bowl terrified me. Then my family started to summer at the beach (the very place I have come back to live, 40+ years later). At the end of the lane, on the sand, there were bonfires and small displays as far as the eye could see up and down the coast. All the amateurs took a break for the major display off the pier, then the noise and fun continued until the wee hours. For the last few years, local police have tried valiantly to dampen the festivities, bonfires and private fireworks are officially forbidden. Yet the renegade show on the sand continues, perhaps fewer participate, but those who do must spend a fortune on very professional displays. Hardly a sparkler to be seen. This Fourth was bittersweet, being both a goodbye to my 40's (as you know, my odometer turned over on the fifth) and my last Fourth living steps from the beach. Still, as always, I regressed to about 10 years old and jumped up and down and generally embarassed everyone around me. Even if I have to travel further, I'll come back next year. Lovely post. I have a skewed idea of Guy Fawks after seeing the movie "V for Vendetta", a sci-fi futuristic version of the tale. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Well, Keef, I can only speak from my own experience and it is certainly true that I have seen very little of fireworks in the last twenty years. So it may well be that I have missed a phenomenal development in the art during that time.
I have a strong suspicion that I am more correct than you know, however. It's not about scale (the millennium celebrations were huge, after all) but more about aesthetics. The Danvers fireworks lasted for twenty-five minutes only, yet created a complete experience that demands consideration as performance art. I find it hard to believe that, in a mere twenty years, the approach to fireworks displays has changed so much in Britain and Oz that they are now works of art rather than an opportunity to fill the night sky with light and sound. Words like "choreographed", "orchestrated" and "composed" occur when thinking of the American version.
As you know, I am as patriotic as anyone and will defend our island nation against any who would criticise her, but sometimes you just have to admit that there are some things others do better. And I think the art of fireworks displays happens to be one of them. Sorry, old chap, but we'll just have to send a gunboat to sort 'em out, what, what...
Incidentally, I'm told that a laser show used to be part of the Danvers celebration. Perhaps it was felt that it detracted from the elegance of the fireworks, however. ;) Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Hobbits are well known for their insularity and refusal to regard anything beyond the borders of the Shire as worthwhile, Mad. :) Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Thank you for the welcome and the kind comment, Fragile.
I find it interesting that very few Americans seem to have heard of Guy Fawkes. He was executed in 1606, well before you guys decided to "go it alone", and so forms part of your legacy as much as he is for the Brits. Perhaps the Guy Fawkes celebrations did not develop until after 1776, although that too would be strange - that an event should wait for more than 150 years before being seen as important. Or maybe it seemed sensible to transfer the form of his celebration to Independence Day, rather in the way that Christmas was co-opted from the pagan calendar by the early Christians.
And now I have to see if I can find this V for Vendetta movie... Date Added: 10/07/2006
usanmbr1 To begin with - a disclaimer - my remarks are made in the perspective of generalities because, if taken apart there would be many individual exceptions.It is nice that you, as an immigrant to America, were able to witness and enjoy the fireworks and music of the celebration of the Fourth of July. While you enjoyed and were moved by the performance of the pyrotechnics and orchestra accompaniments, it seems to me that you missed the whole point.Speaking from the point of view of a “born” American of fifth or sixth generation, I believe it is impossible for you or any first generation immigrant to truly understand what the point actually is.I consider myself a “native” American. That is not to say that I am an American Indian but that I was born in this country of parents, grandparents, great grandparents and earlier generations. That makes this, in my heart and soul, my native country. I AM an American.For me and the majority of my countrymen, the Fourth of July has a deep and real meaning The culmination of our celebration of this meaning in fireworks and music is not just a spectacular performance to entertain us on a hot July night. It is a way to express our pride in and deep love for our country. It shouts in the most profound and most beautiful way to the world and the heavens that we are overwhelmed with gratefulness to be blessed to be a tiny part of this great nation that was founded in love of God and love of freedom.I believe that this magnificent, patriotic pride is something no first generation immigrant can experience. Although Americans can seem, on the surface, to be diversified and divided (and we are in many ways), when it comes to protecting and defending our country, we can come together like no other nation on earth. We will, at times, do this without any guiding or controlling leadership - just because we are American and because we all have the common love and protectiveness of our land and our principles. An example of this sort of mutual patriotism is the downing of flight 93 on the infamous date of 9/11. The people on that plane were ordinary Americans. If viewed from their individual lives most of them would probably seem to have very little in common. If their journey had culminated in an ordinary ending, they would have gone their separate ways and never known each other. But, it was not an ordinary day and it was not an ordinary end to their journey. By the time the first three planes had hit their targets and by means of modern technologies, the people on flight 93 understood what was happening in our country. It was because of their love, pride and patriotism that they banded together and sacrificed their lives to help put an end to the enemies’ strike on this land.Our history is steeped in sacrifices by our forefathers who understood that this nation was different from all nations on earth. The legacy they handed those of us who are blessed to be born from them is love of a country founded in love of freedom and God. Our legacy is strong and as inbred as the color of our eyes or hair. And those sacrifices are why you were able to sit on a blanket on a warm July night and be moved by a “performance” of a magnitude you had rarely witnessed. You were entertained and you were moved, but, even if you know well the history of American, you truly did not understand what the performance meant. If you produce a “next” generation, born in this country, they might have an inkling of “native” pride of which I speak. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Mad Your arrogance is breathtaking usanmbr1. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Don't be too hard on me, Usanmbr1 - I do appreciate and understand the reasons for the celebration of the Fourth of July. After all, I am as patriotic towards Britain as you are to the States (believe it or not). But my article was directed purely towards one event in that celebration and not as a consideration of Independence Day. It is an attempt to describe my reactions to a new art form, not a reflection on American patriotism.
I applaud your love for your country (and would mention that there is much about America and Americans that I love too) - that is how it should be. But do not imagine that you are the only ones to have such patriotism - to assume that only Americans can possibly feel so strongly about the country of their birth is to invite such an angry response as Mad's up there.
Incidentally, I would ask how one who hides behind a false name and email address can assume so lofty a moral stance. Your comment under the name MM on my previous post was removed at your request, presumably because you realized that it invited a response that you would not have liked. I could as easily remove your latest comment but choose to reply because it has some relevance to the post. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Twelvebirds Firstly, I whole-heartedly support the patriotism of usanmbr1's comment and agree that we, as Americans, should view the Fourth of July as the birth of our great nation and all that it stands for. Patriotism and love of country are a wonderful thing. But I would never agree that a first generation immigrant could not appreciate what American is or means to those of us whose roots are here for multiple generations. I know personally of two women who have just become American citizens, choosing this as their country rather than being American by accident of birth. I daresay their love of America and pride in this nation is not to be discounted by those who claim citizenry by birth. What of those that the Statue of Liberty welcomes, the poor, the "huddled masses yearning to be free"? For many Americans it is not too many generations since their ancestors were amongst those - ragged immigrants fleeing poverty and tyranny and welcomed by this Lady of the Lamp. Do they then claim superiority for having arrived a few generations earlier than another? Is that not the antithesis of what America and this gateway symbol stand for? Would we then define true Americans as those whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower and other early vessels, or perhaps only those whose roots go back to the original thirteen colonies, perhaps only those who had ancestors who were here at the birth of the nation? How ridiculous, for America is made strong in diversity and has grown to the great nation that it is through immigration of peoples from other nations. By the way, I can tace ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, but this makes me no more American than the recent immigrant, seeking a new life in a land of freedom and opportunity and I would proudly stand next to him, our hands over our hearts and sing of our Star Spangled Banner, the symbol of the land we both love. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Mad George Bernard Shaw: "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it." Date Added: 10/07/2006
usanmb1 Gone Away, I did not intend to suggest you were not patriotic about your country. I simply was trying to express my opinion on your blog as it came across to me. (Isn’t that what the comment section is for?) I read it and felt that you witnessed the celebration as a “performance” much like good theater. As to the person Mad’s comment of “arrogance”, this is one that Americans are used to when proclaiming their patriotism. I stand by what I wrote with pride and love of my country and my countrymen. In response to the person Twelvebirds, I have room in my mind for your opinion but I still believe that patriotism is an emotion that grows deeper with time. I am puzzled by Gone Away’s last paragraph and the reference to my "hiding" behind a “false name and email address”. I read blogs from time to time when surfing the internet and came across this one. When I comment on a blog I never use my real name or normal email address because I do not want to invite spam. I am sure I am not the first to use this procedure when commenting on blogs. The name I chose for this blog is as “real” as the other commentors and the email address is also “real” and can receive mail. How I interact with the internet and blogs should be of no concern to anyone and should not bring on insults. Also, the comment: “Your comment under the name MM on my previous post was removed at your request, presumably because you realized that it invited a response that you would not have liked”, I do not understand. It would seem from this comment that someone else has disagreed with Gone Away and gotten censured for it. I have never commented on this blog before. This was my first visit to it. This will also be my last. There seems to be little room for opinions here with which the host does not agree. I will not come back to be insulted again. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Madmin Hmmm interesting response usanmbr1 considering MM's comment was posted from the IP address 70.248.106.231 and your last two comments have been posted from the IP address 70.248.106.231. This IP maps to Dallas Texas and is pretty concrete evidence that you and MM are one and the same. As far as I'm concerned you're more than welcome to post your opinions here but please be aware that if your post is as condescending and myopic (in my opinion) as your last one then the responses may be quite... robust. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Yes, Usanmbr1, that is exactly what the comments section is for - expressing opinions on what has been written. But you must accept that any comment offered may well garner responses that disagree with the commenter - we all have opinions, after all. And I was merely saying in my last comment that, since I experience patriotism for my own country, it is quite possible that I understand anyone's patriotism, regardless of what country they hail from.
I have already stated that the article was about the performance of the fireworks display, so I fail to see what point you are trying to make in repeating this. In fact, I purposely avoided any discussion of the occasion that warranted the display, feeling that it was not my place to examine American patriotism.
As for your final paragraphs, well, I think Mad has answered any points you wished to make... Date Added: 10/07/2006
fragile industries Woot! Methinks I spy a troll! Now that's entertainment! Date Added: 10/07/2006
fragile industries BTW, after reading this, I Googled " "Guy Fawks" American celebration " to see if there was any tradition in pre-revolutionary US on November 5. (Me: "Hello, my name is Fragile, and I'm a Googleholic." Chorus: "Hi, Fragile.") Came across this, which manages to wrap up Guy Fawks, V for Vendetta, masks, patriotic celebrations, and British-American antipathy in one wonderful dialogue: Date Added: 10/07/2006
fragile googleholic And there is an online article discussing Guy Fawks celebrations in colonial U.S., with the interesting theory that this tradition has a connection with the American Revolution itself. If anyone cares. It is a bit obscure, but I was a history undergrad, followed by a career as an appellate research attorney, so this geekiness comes naturally. Thanks for getting my brain to work before coffee. Date Added: 10/07/2006
Gone Away Just goes to show that I should make more use of Google before rushing into print, Fragile. Those links are fascinating, especially the one that suggests a connection between Guy Fawkes celebrations and the American Revolution. Makes my thoughts on the disappearance of Guy Fawkes from the American memory seem a bit silly - clearly it was a case of maintaining order! Date Added: 10/07/2006
keeef I applaud the fact that anyone can link an article on fireworks and celebration to the victims of 9/11. Its a shame he didnt find time to write burn the arabs but hey you cant have everything Date Added: 11/07/2006
Way Only in America. Man, I have never been to England, but the fireworks here are just fantastic. Why, in just the last couple of days here I have seen new shapes and colors exploding and lighting up the room. I think it is safer to sit on Mad's blanket and keep on watching. Date Added: 11/07/2006
Gone Away Hear, hear, Way. Date Added: 11/07/2006
Way (even if he does talk funny) Date Added: 11/07/2006
Kurt Remind me to invite all of you to Maryland at some point when we finally get our refurbished cannon out to the firing range for a real July 4 celebration. If you've never experienced the phenomena of a 'wave of sound', you will when we put a soup can filled with cement into a target downrange. Sufficient gunfire beats fireworks any day. :) Date Added: 11/07/2006
Gone Away Maryland it is, Kurt! Actually, my son, Mad, used to be in a historical battle recreation society (American Civil War - he was a Unionist) so I have heard the sound of ancient cannon fire. That was blanks, however - perhaps soup cans filled with cement are even more impressive. Date Added: 11/07/2006
Mad .o0(He thinks I talk funny!? ) Date Added: 11/07/2006
Kurt Ah, a bluecoat. This particular cannon has only seen the other side of reenactments (well before I was born); my grandfather said the Rebs got to have all the fun, climbing trees, falling out when shot, and running around while the Bluecoats marched in formation. Date Added: 12/07/2006
Gone Away As I understand it, Mad had a lot of fun too - until his hand got badly burned with a musket backfire. That kinda put a stop to his days of re-enactments... Date Added: 12/07/2006
k@k.com nearly breaking his hand firing air bombs on the run stopped him shooting off fireworks for a while too hey Bruh ;) Date Added: 12/07/2006
keeef http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5168702.stm Not quite fireworks but a celebration none the less. Thought you'd enjoy the pics Date Added: 12/07/2006
Gone Away Great pics, Keef - thanks. Only on the Beeb... Date Added: 12/07/2006
Mad Yup that airbomb had suprising recoil... Date Added: 12/07/2006
Gone Away I'll tell your mother... Date Added: 12/07/2006
prying1 Wonderful post Clive - I too cannot wait for the next Fourth of July. Date Added: 13/07/2006
Gone Away Thanks, Paul. Date Added: 13/07/2006
Way Oh, yeah. The boy even thinks funny! :)) But has he any potato gun-and-hair spray experience? Handy talents, if ya have em. Now, please allow me to "tempt" you back to comments on that page of mine, Gonefriend, for some updated clarifica-tions. Date Added: 13/07/2006
Gone Away I shall be there directly, Sir Way! Date Added: 14/07/2006
Back to the main blog
You may use HTML in comments. A carriage return is <br />, use two for a new paragraph. For bold text use <strong></strong> and for italic text use <em></em>. If you know what you're doing feel free to use more complex mark-up but please no deprecated tags or JavaScript.
Name * Comment * Email * URL Commenting has closed for this post
