Choral weekend interlude

For this one I performed and luckily I wasn't singing.  This was Forrest National Chamber Orchestra playing in St Pauls Manuka.  It's a pleasure to play for Gillian and her chamber group.  Gillian is a violin teacher and invites her students and capable family and others to play.  It's lovely to play in such a noble place.  OK, it's not Kings College Cambridge, but it is lofty and has a decent organ and an altar with steps so it seems right.  This was not a particularly difficult program and I'd played several of the tunes before, but with very little practice I was not quite spot on, but there were some lovely passages and some seriously good playing around.  The Corelli concerto had its challenges.  The Elgar Serenade has some tricky counts but I knew it.  Satie Gnossienne no.1 was an arrangement by Gillian using bass as a key instrument so I liked that one.  The Vivaldi double cello concerto was a pleasure, if with a few slips by me, but with a lovely pair of cellists up front, Frances and Duncan, who happen to be partners and parents.  From the program, I see that Frances has an illustrious career, playing with the LSO, London Phil, Berlin Phil, Hungarian Radio Orch and others, no less, but very positive and inviting to play with.  And Holst St Paul's suite to finish, another I'd played.  Maybe I was a bit rough this time given very minimal preparation and practice, but a huge pleasure nonetheless.  And a switch from choirs for one session this weekend. 

Gillian Bailey-Graham (musical director) conducted the Forrest National Chamber Orchestra at St Pauls.  Featured were Frances Stevens and Duncan McIntyre (cellos) and Rebecca Lovett-Kotze (violin, concertmaster).  Eric Pozza (bass) played the low end.

Thanks to Michael Hoy for the pic

From Forrest to the nation

This was perhaps my favourite concert by FNCO, the federally named Forrest National Chamber Orchestra. They played so well and the music was so lovely. First up, Corelli Concerto grosso op.6 no.4. It's well known and a great pleasure and was nicely done. Then Nimrod from Enigma. I remember playing it within the whole Variations and its presence stood out on arrival with its glorious gentility. Then a few Piazzolla tunes, Oblivion and a tango. For me, the Ortona Porteno tango had more complexity and thus more satifying, but both were inviting and latin rhythmic. Then Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis which seemed very complex and subtle and difficult to pull off, but I thought they did a great job. And to end, Metallica (!?) as interpreted by Apocolyptica (a cello quartet) and arranged by FCNO member, Duncan McIntyre, for this format. The amplification didn't quite do it justice, but the effect was intriguing and the whole was surprisingly melodious. An unexpected end to a very satisfying concert by our locals in Forrest.

Forrest National Chamber Orchestra (FNCO) variously were directed by Gillian Bailey-Graham and Shilong Ye (conductors) with soloists Rebecca Lovett, John Dobson and Shilong Ye (violins), Elisha Adams (viola), Nicky Philipse, Frances Stevens and Duncan McIntyre (cellos).

Double treating

The concert was labelled a double treat given the two features: a pair of double concerti. First up Vivaldi for two cellos; second up Bach for two violins. I like Vivaldi but the Bach was a winner and so well known. Vivaldi was Gminor; the Bach was Dminor. Whichever was the winner in the popularity stakes, these are impressive and attractive works, both of them. The Vivaldi was maybe more predictable, repetitive, less adventurous than the Bach but they were both great. The performers were the Forrest National Chamber Orchestra playing in the chapel at Grammar Girls School. The conductor was Gillian with Shilong helping out on some numbers. The soloists were all regular FNCO members, cellists Frances Stevens and Duncan McIntyre; violinists Rebecca Lovett and Shilong Ye. The supporting program was deeply interesting , too. Bartok Rumanian folk dances; Borodin Nocture from String quartet no.2 (very recognisable); Ravel Bolero (very very recognisable ... and done here nicely and in a mercifully shorter arrangement for string orchestra - just 5 runs through instead of, what? 17 or so?); and the most immediately attractive of all, Plink, plank, plunk! (1951) by Leroy Anderson, played totally in pizz, all cheerful and bouncy like a Disney theme. This was nice playing by a group that spans teachers and students and ages. Lovely to hear and some wonderful programs. Always a pleasure.

Forrest National Chamber Orchestra performed Bach and Vivaldi double concerti as well as Bartok, Borodin, Anderson and Ravel in the chapel at Grammar Girls School. Gillian Bailey-Graham and Shilong Ye (conductors) directed soloists Frances Stevens and Duncan McIntyre (cellos) and Rebecca Lovett and Shilong Ye (violins).