19 November 1998 Evening
As Fripp notes in his diary, “the best performances are in churches” and here the atrium of the World Financial Centre for his second performance of the day, something very special unfolds in front of those attentive gathered in what Fripp regards as a secular cathedral. From the sombre beginnings, the ‘scape gradually fills the space. Moving into Affirming those pensive tones soften into something more hopeful. It was Fripp’s practice to stop playing from time to time in order to listen and be ready for what might appear and that sense of consideration finds its way into the piece. The strange fluttering akin to a flock of birds taking off amidst low rumbles heard in Vector Shift following Affirming provides a strange and startling prelude to the final piece of the evening performance. That silence may have occurred for more pragmatic reasons, however, as Fripp’s rig was seen as needing attention from sound engineer John Sinks. All of this seems to be a perfect example of Fripp's much-loved practice of turning a disadvantage into an advantage.
