Venerability

NCO held its anniversary concert and I hadn't realised, but this is another venerable institution in Canberra.  40 years for this community orchestra.   It's not a huge history but it is significant, especially in the context of a short-lived town like Canberra.  I was amused at some of the discussion around Albert Hall in the same way by NCO members new to Canberra.  Our Albert Hall was a product of the first round of building for the national capital, opening in 1928, replacing the Causeway Hall (seen that?) as the largest place of entertainment in Canberra and succeeded in 1965 by the Canberra Theatre.  Thus this program was called Anniversaries, celebrating NCOs's 40th and Canberra with the Andrew Schultz Symphony no.3 written for Canberra's centenary and played ten years later and Rachmaninov's 150 birthday with his Paganini Rhapsody.  And a third piece by Ukraininan-Australia composer Catherine Likhuta.  It was a daring combination and a challenging play and NCO did it justice as always, not least with Rach soloist Kristian Chong.  Just a few pics but also a memory of the history that makes us all.

National Capital Orchestra performed Likhuta, Rachmaninov and Schultz at Albert Hall underLouis Sharpe (conductor) with soloist Kristian Chong (piano).