Blessings

It's funny to think that I cut my middle finger, left hand, cutting a tomato for lunch, and I got through the NCO concerto concert with a bandage. It wasn't so bad (not bad at all) but it's a fear of musicians. I've heard tell of musicians' hands insured for millions; apocryphal, perhaps, and worthy of some amusement. This was the National Capital Orchestra's Concerto Concert. It's an annual end-of-year event where members take the limelight to play movements of concertos or perhaps take the stand as conductor. This time, the concertos were an interesting bunch: for two violas (Prot), for four horns (Schumann) and one more common, for flute (Mozart). Also a few songs from G&S and Verdi and a devilishly difficult piece, Liszt Les preludes, and a famous unfinished symphony (Schubert). It was a varied mixtape of music with plenty of challenges. That's how I like it. As expected, we cut the Liszt better than ever before ("she'll be right on the night") but still not perfectly. That must be a common refrain. The Mozart and Prot sat with nice classical order, so much so that we played the Mozart without conductor, in chamber style. Kaitlin was lovely in the arias and hit plenty of high notes. The four horns fascinated me with their volume and smooth interactions. Interesting to see the ear plugs out in the front rows that took the full force of the horns. (I wished for earplugs for the percussion to finish Liszt: it was ecstatically loud and close behind me). Then to end, Schubert's Unfinished symphony, simple lines but quite compelling. To end my first year with the NCO. I feel blessed. These guys can really cut it.

National Capital Orchestra played its end-of-year Concerto concert at John Lingard Hall at Canberra Grammar School. Composers were Liszt, Prot, Mozart, G&S, Verdi, Schumann and Schubert. Conductors were Leonard Weiss and Christian Renglii. Soloists were Alex Kunzelmann and Suzanna Powell (violas), John Smiles (flute), Kaitlin Nihill (soprano) and Angela Liu, Dianne Tan, Anne-Marie Siiteri and Iain Hercus (horns).

Chamber one

Chamber music is exposed and in the respect quite unlike orchestral music so I was a bit wary leading up to my first chamber concert with the NCO Octet. We were performing with a string of other groups at a memorial concert for Dr Philip Toua to fundraise for Clare Holland House at the City Uniting Church. But the room was glowingly light with concealed windows, nicely live with a reflecting sloped ceiling, the audience was inviting and the list of performers was intriguing and varied, so I enjoyed this. I learnt that English and Tongan congregations meet at this church, and the family was of Tongan descent, and this was an added interest. The performers included three Pacific island choirs: Peroveta Singers of PNG, the Tongan Youth Choir and the West Papuan Students of Canberra. All had a fascinating power of voice and at their best, inviting harmonies. Robert Schmidli turned up to play Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and fugue in D minor. Great work and nice playing. Canberra Choral Society presented three songs; very smooth and professional. Pip Thompson and Douglas Mcdougal of the CSO explored some repertoire for two violins, a few jazz tunes, but most significantly a Sonata (Op.3 no.6 D maj) by Jean Marie Leclair, after setting the scene with a bottled life history (a fascinating and sad story). As they volunteered, three of six of the Lord Byron 5 performed a few of Byron's poems as folk rock tunes sporting the best costumes of the day. Our group, NCO Octet, performed two movements of Schubert's Octet for Strings Fmaj with rather lesser costumes (all black). That went well enough. I enjoyed it immensely despite the exposure. Thanks to Geetha and family who organised the event and my band. A first exposure!

The Philip Toua Memorial Concert featured the Peroveta Singers of PNG, the Tongan Youth Choir the West Papuan Students of Canberra, Robert Schmidli, Canberra Choral Society, Pip Thompson and Douglas Mcdougal, Lord Byron 5 and the NCO Octet. The NCO Octet comprised Airlie Andrew (bassoon), Anne-Marie Siiteri (French horn), Jane Russell-Jones (clarinet), Eliana Suyin and Sanchia Toua (violins), Bethan McDonald (viola), Evelyn Andrew (cello) and Eric Pozza (bass).