Animals

Monarto Open Plains Zoo was last week but I got some good pics so this post.  I'm not so big on visits to nature, but it's a worthy establishment, associated with the Adelaide Zoo, private but with government sponsorship and essential crew of volunteers, doing good work in supporting species to survive. Once inside there are walking trails and bus trips and some special opportunities like feeding lions with the humans in a cage, no less.  And our final visit was to the chimpanzee habitat and some very close views through glass where you can sympathise with recently departed Jane Goodall and feel some hint at connection.  All very fascinating.

Adel local

I remember a school reunion finishing with a walk with fellows to Norwood Parade in Adelaide and a chance meeting with two performers from the Norwood Symphony Orchestra, apparently having a coffee before they performed.  They weren't too chatty  but I returned to see NSO in rehearsal at the Town Hall years later.  They were preparing for a masterwork that I'd love to catch, but won't, Handel Messiah.  At least I heard some preparation and it was community-level but impressive.  Two basses, one 5-string, and some decent sight-reading or near to.  These were early days so some work required but wish I were here, actually.  I'd love to have another go at it.  The MD conductor was Michael Milton, principal second violin with Adelaide SO, but also with connections to Canberra through brother Nick.  They worked through several parts of Messiah and I could just swoon at the inevitability of it all, through recognition or genius, whatever.  So an entertaining and informative half-rehearsal to listen in on and again, wish I could make the Messiah they will perform mid-Dec.

Michael Milton (MD, conductor) led the Norwood Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal in  Norwood, SA.

COMA not at all

I've mentioned COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide) on CJ before.  This time I managed to attend a gig.  Basically it's pretty much a fortnightly event on Mondays at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton (the Wheaty).  Two sets for two groups playing original music in various forms.  This night it was the Elder Music Lab out of the local con, the Elder Conservatorium, at Univ of Adelaide and a 4-peice band called the Harmful health.  The Elder Music Lab played four original pieces, 2 each from composers Rafael Raschella and Belle Smibert in various combinations of string quartet with additions of clarinet/bass clarinet and flute. Conductors were listed as Luke Dollman and Lloyd Van t’Hoff although I only noticed one conductor.  Works of Rafael were floaty, sometimes bleak, his string quartet no.1 and another called Grief (or Grieve?) with addition of that clarinet and flute pairing.  Works of Belle were interleaved as 2,4 on the program with titles When the weather turns cold, influenced by a book and played by a trio of violin, guitar, cello and Saoirse=Freedom in Irish Gaelic.  The first was mostly triplet feels, 6/8 or 12/8, and these works seemed more structured and melodic.  I didn't gets names of performers.  Then the band Harmful health.  The description mentioned influences of Latin and World music.  My feel was more prog rock with its solid rock grooves, truncated bar counts, polymeters, plenty of solos and nicely stated guitar melodies, some incessant sturdy and essential bass and some luscious malleable drums that so enhanced the grooves.  And loud.  They played ~4 tunes going perhaps over time.  The structures of feature lines or interim parts between melody and solos were all features.  Bassist Luke spoke for the band and maybe formed it.  His bass certainly defined grooves, often steady and unchanging, but sometimes letting loose with some delicious fills.  Again, I loved the elaborations of drums and nice guitar and key solos, although my rock ears yearned form more drive and distortion on the guitar at times.  Sam was similarly capable but perhaps more modern than that!  So, loud but well practised and nicely played.  Perhaps I was being indulgent in my interest in Luke's bass.  It looked an old PB.  We chatted later, and yes, it was a 1970 PB.  I'd had similar in my time in Adelaide (PB '72, sunburst, rosewood). I was interested in fret sizes and more, but frets had been changed out and the body had some changes over time, but the neck was gloriously aged and the body looked so too.  But I enjoyed the band.  As for COMA, what a wonderful event in a very cool boho pub with its own brews and a pizza cart outside and with an audience of all ages, families and younger tats, plenty of aged blokes to chat to and a range of styles to hear and a general inviting feel.  I can only recommend it highly.  COMA live recordings are on Bandcamp and YouTube.  And cheers to Grant and Tom who I shared a table and plenty of interests with.

The Elder Music Lab performed new works by Raffael Raschella and Belle Smibert (composers) with Luke Dollman and Lloyd Van t’Hoff (conductors).  The  Harmful Heath performed in a rockier style with Logan Watt (keys), Sam Cagney (guitar), Luke Lendrum (bass) and Gilli Atkinson (drums).  Both sets were at COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide) at the Wheatsheaf Hotel (the Wheaty).

Such a thing

The title of this Wesley Wednesday lunchtime concert was "Is there such a thing as a day?" and it was from two stellar local performers, both associated with Luminescence and many more, Rachel Mink and Callum Tolhurst-Close.  Suffice to say the performance was both thrilling in capability but also touching in lyrics.  For once I followed the lyrics and was variously touched.   These were pieces of music written to harbour lyrics from various others, from Percy Bysshe Shelley and Emily Dickinson through Judith Wright to more modern lyricists or poets.  And the composers were recognised from internationals Eric Whitacre and Richard Strauss, of course, to locals Dan Walker to Elena Katz-Chernin and Andrew Ford.  And Rachel and Callum obviously have contacts, given they performed 3 world premieres in the program.  They also asked for no applause during the performance, so accompaniment ran pretty much attacca through for the hour.  The piano was superb but the lyrics of people and place were the touching component, as lyrics can be in good hands or voices.  Moons and mornings and regret and relationships just make for music worth this time.  Something stunning and very special.  Well worthy of an album.

Rachel Mink (voice) was accompanied by Callum Tolhurst-Close (piano) at Wesley.

Thomas and Hildegard

The Tallis Scholars performed at Canberra Theatre and it appeared a full house.  They sing sacred music a capella.  The songs of Hildegard were performed by 3 or 4 females, singing in unison with no conductor, but maybe my ears weren't so good.  The singing seemed so perfect, so precise. I discretely tested on my tuner and the vocals were nothing like that.  Listening more closely, I could hear the variations in pitch but it was a surprise. I guess voice requires that anyway to sit, like orchestral strings with their vibratos. The other pieces, mostly by Arvo Part, were performed by 6 women and 4 men with conductor. Allegri Miserere was five plus conductor on stage and 3 off.  There was an encore but I didn't catch the details. This introduction was the one time MD Peter Phillips spoke to the audience, to name the encore, to mention that they'd played in Llewellyn, what, ~9 times previously, once sometime around the collapsed ceiling, and to promote the availability of CDs and even a novel by PP himself about being a pro-muso in London.  It's not easy anywhere, especially in these days of streaming.  I'd seen tell of a 2hr20min duration with interval but it was less than 2 hours and it passed easily, the tunes so pure and clear and delicious, of that early era, but also with b9s and b6s and some chromatic chord movements, perhaps in Arvo Part.  A lovely revisit to this era with some really classy proponents.

The Tallis Scholars performed at Canberra Theatre under Peter Phillips (MD, conductor, founder, [author]).

Domestics

It was a fascinating approach to a concert.  Stuart Long played a personally influential album, essentially in order.  His father had purchased it as part of a music collection, then on record/LP (now nominated vinyl), to hear on his stereo from Duratone.  How's that for a Canberra story?  The music was relatively short pieces, immensely popular and lyrical, a "best of" of piano of the time.  I too had played a few as a young piano student.  Amusingly, he even interrupted as half-time to "turn the record".  So what did he play?  A Bach prelude, Chopin Fur Elise, some tango and latin, Grieg, Rach, Chaminade, Ibert and some others.  Perhaps my fave was Poulenc Mouvements perpetuels no.1.  Then an encore of Debussy Girl with the flaxen hair.  So the music was entertaining and varied.  I liked also that we just listened.  Stuart asked for no applause except before that little interval and at the end.  We heard more that way and the experience was less interrupted.  Then a meeting of mostly friends and acquaintances over some nibbles and champers for a lovely Sunday outing.  Capable playing and pleasant company.  I guess those domestic concerts in the paintings were something like this, in the days before stereos.

Stuart Long (piano) performed the works of the album John Ogdon Popular piano favourites (1972) at Wesley.

Land and skies

This was a concert of open skies and land and nature, and not only of Australia. But there were Australian themes and local composers and the performers were obviously local and very worthy.  I like Canberra Choral Society and consider our annual outing of NCO/CSS in Llewelyn a highlight of my year.  This was accompanied by jsut piano, but the very worthy Anthony Smith with MD Dan Walker up front and featuring some of his arrangements and one composition and Mike Dooley in the room for a rendition of three movements of one of his works.  The concert started with Iceland, a capella with moving parallel fifths - stunning - and there was Philip Glass on piano and a Burt Bacharach South American gataway, a Swingle Singers lyric-free song from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and a delicious Appalachian round, and a theatre piece from Kate Miller-Heidke and others on rabbits and colonialisation.  Then images of open Australian open spaces and big skies from Dan and trees and Norwegian tundra.  And Emily Dickinson on the Moon and sea and Lili Boulanger on the Sun in French.  Throughout, this was carefully expressed and well intoned and could be thrilling and fascinating.  For one, I loved the round.  So, another deeply satisfying outing for several mates and the CCS.

The Canberra Choral Society performed in Wesley church under Dan Walker (MD, conductor) with accompaniment from Anthony Smith (piano).

Home(r) runthrough

Harriet Allen had the most fabulous title for her rendition of the Odyssey, A long way Home(r), and I'd never managed to get through my book of the Idiad and the Odyssey so I didn't want to miss this one.  I had once seen a theatrical rendition of Odysseus arriving home to Penelope at Belconnen but that was a long way back and I don't think it covered the full 10 years of his return.  HA is a classics student and this served as a marked project, for the rendition from memory and the interpretation and commentary after, but she also enjoys standup commedy and treated it thus, with influence from UK/BBC Nancy Haynes who "stands up for the classics" online.  This is perfectly relevant given the nature of these Ancient Greek works that were first shared from memory with the general public and only later were written, at the ones we haven't lost. I enjoyed the presentation but remember only snippets of the convoluted story of wife and suitors and husband and travels and indulgences and son and family issues.  I liked the attempt to recreate the atmosphere of performance and the comparison with the Iliad as sitcom vs. grandiosity.  I noted some quotes, "rosy-fingered dawn" and "only man to ever hear the Sirens and live to tell".  And she had a great turnout.  Amusingly I asked early and the table next to me was Classics Dept and others I spoke with had clear knowledge of the story.  I even got a recommendation for a film based on the Odyssey (O brother where art thou, with George Cluny, on SBS On Demand for the next month) but I think there are many.  And given I may never actually read it, this was a most valuable hour.  Fascinating and fun.  BTW, HA is also a clarinetist and composer.

Harriet Allen wrote and performed her retelling of Homer Odyssey at Smiths.

Bohemian nobility

I've recorded Charles Huang several times but not sure if I recorded his first gig at Wesley at age 8. Whatever, he a local prize-winning pianist and a huge pleasure to hear on stage.  This program was JS Bach, Franz Schubert and Beethoven Waldstein sonata, nicely keyed in in C major although no slouch work.  The works were played with certainty and strength from memory, grand, fast and furious in busy or quick passages, intelligent and careful, not least for the intellectually satisfying Bach prelude and interplayed fugue BWV868 in B major, to contrast in key with the Waldstein.  The Schubert was 2 impromptus, all heavily stated rhythms and confident melodies over.  And to finish, the 3 movements of Beethoven, busy, expressive, structured, challenging through different tempi and emotional expressions. He was trying out the harpsichord as I left.  Softer than a firmly played Yamaha C6 and just a thing of diverse beauty in his hands.

Charles Huang (piano) performed Bach, Schubert and Beethoven at Wesley.

This is CJBlog post no. 3,050

One sweet jam

Not too many came to this Smiths Jam.  Maybe there was some confusion over listing?  I hadn't seen it earlier but it was there in the evening.  Whatever, it was a nice outcome for me.  Mitch and I arrived at the same time and Greg was alone playing guitar in the upstairs bar.  I got the double bass from downstairs and Mitch got his sticks and we were a trio.  The bass sounded OK but with a nut too high for my hands but I got in some walks.  Then Michael arrived with an NS electric upright bass.   Michael took over on drums when Mitch left and I got to play the NS and it was a dream.  We had a few pianists  and vocal/flute and a string of decent standards and jazz tunes.  Such a pleasure to play and especially to play with Greg, wonderful player that he is.  So, an opportune night to get to the jazz jam at Smiths.