28 June 2022

Big day out

This was a big day, the annual concert by National Capital Orchestra with Canberra Choral Society in Llewellyn.  I dream of this day.  I get this massive grin as the voices ring out, the solo vocalists solo up front, the sound of the orchestra rings in this classy acoustic.  The audience may not quite look it, but you feel professional here.  Great lighting, this time the big e-organ, the stage managing and risers and the rest, always those voices.  This year was Rossini Petite messe solonnelle.  He'd become famous and rich and mostly retired from music, but later he wrote this work.  It's not Brahms or Mozart and it has some lightheartedness and melodrama from the Italian operatic scene, but it's also got some nice lines, a few involving fugues, a few but not too many challenges. At least for the bass, which is how I measure it.  Some players were a bit unflattering but I liked a few parts a lot and those voices were right behind me.  The basses were a line of five behind woodwinds and in front of 3 rows of choir.  We liked this.  We could see well, be part of the sound and project well into both the orchestra and the audience.  We got several supportive comments on our location, especially from violins, usually across stage from us, and given the foundational role of the bass, I reckon this could only be for the better.  From my part, I hugely enjoyed the performance, satisfied that my mistakes were mostly in rehearsal, as it usually is and as it should be.  Conductor Louis was a great pleasure in rehearsal and in performance.  We even got a mention on ABC Classic FM in the morning.  What more could you ask?  A fabulous outing and I judge a very worthy one.  But this was a big day and more to come...

National Capital Orchestra teamed with Canberra Choral Society to perform Rossini Petite messes solonnelle in Llewellyn Hall.  Louis Sharpe (conductor) led with Dan Walker (chorus master, tenor) and soloists Sarahlouise Owens (soprano), Sonia Anfiloff (alto), Ryan O'Donnell (tenor) and Hayden Barrington (baritone).   And five double basses.  

  • Thanks to the indefatigable Peter Hislop for this and all the rest of his pics.

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