Just how good

Best composition?  I wondered about that but it's a stupid question, especially given my limited knowledge, but my favourite work?  I think so.  I've listed every classical piece I've performed in concert (now 506 with some repeats) and it includes Beethoven 3,4,5,6,7 and plenty more, but my faves are choral and this seems my most memorable of all.  Sitting through Brahms German Requiem by Igitur nos tends to confirm it.  Gloriously rich and attractive, emotionally dense, wonderfully informed bass lines, extensive chromatic and substituting lines, beautiful harmonies in voices to drool over, high sopranos, inventive harmonies and challenging fugues.  I closed my eyes and fell into this density, knowing it well after having played it myself.  I find when I've practised and performed a work, it stays with me, so I know upcoming phasings and predict every line.  Strange that practice, or perhaps performance, can be so permanent.  I can't play from memory but I can revisit and predict a listen.  Hayley did a great job on so many lines, slow or busy as they were.  Otherwise, just a small accompaniment of piano, single strings and woodwinds, 8 players in all in the arrangements, rather than a full orchestra.  And the choir and two soloists, bass and soprano.  Very nice soloists, but I preferred the massed parts, the power and precision and movements of lines in harmony.  My German was nil, so the words were of nothing, but still power remained and glorious, emotional music.  Brahms German Requiem: a work of beauty and huge emotional density.

Igitur Nos performed Brahms German Requiem at Wesley.  Matthew Stuckings (conductor) led a choir of 22 with two vocal soloists, Elsa Huber (soprano) and Colin Milner (baritone) and an octet comprising Rowan Harvey-Martin (violin), Elizabeth Chalker (viola), Alex Voorhoeve (cello), Hayley Manning (bass), Jodie Petrov (flute), Yu-Lan Chan (oboe), Lis Hoorweg (clarinet) and Emily Leong (piano).

Most worthy rehash of rehashes

I recorded the first of Mike Dooley's set of compositions in the styles of a string of periods and renowned composers, from baroque and classical to the romantics and impressionists, Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Clementi, Chopin and the like.  I guess it was a learning tool but more.  This was authentic in a ranges of styles, so his piano concerto had been played several times and the set is recorded and on streaming sites (Michael Dooley Anachronisms).  This was Anachronism's 10 year anniversary, Mike had written some string quartet parts, there one or two newbies, not least a latin called Tango in Cheek, where each pianist lined up to play a part with the string quartet.  Very amusing but also interesting musically.  After all, Mike is a pretty decent jazz improviser and that calls for latins too, even if he read this one. There were a series of some of the best pianists in town, Anthony Smith, Emily Leong, Jennifer Hou, Aaron Chew and Andrew Ramsay taking their pieces and the Grevillea String Quartet, and a very decent audience ready with all proceeds going to a charity project to build a school for children in Nigeria.  And it was a long night: 2.5 hours with the interval.  But so impressive.  Much admired.

Mike Dooley (composer, piano) presented a string of his compositions written in different musical styles played played by Mike and Anthony Smith, Emily Leong, Jennifer Hou, Aaron Chew and Andrew Ramsay (piano) with accompaniment by the Grevillea String Quartet comprising Vanessa Driver and Shilong Ye (violins), Julie Kate Horneman (viola) and Alex Moncur (cello).

Gentle and effective

It was an afternoon of gentle, smooth, intoned voices that I had when I recorded The Resonants.  I'd recorded them several times before.  There's a sense of balance and sensitivity in their concerts rather than abrupt and outspoken voices.  Their theme was Sun Moon Stars and the magic of the Universe, of the natural world, from a range of composers, modern Australian to Elgar and Barber, various moderns of other countries, some locals and relatives as composers and arrangers, and even some pop music, Harry Styles and LaLa Land in choral arrangements.  Accompaniment was from piano, mostly, but also string quartet in the first set and just the violins therein or just the voices a capella.  And those two instrumental breaks, one of Here comes the sun by the string quartet and that LaLa land tune on piano.  And then the two conductors, Helen Swan, who formed the choir 35 years ago, and Kylie van Dijk, now Helen's offsider.  Piano was Emily Leong and the string quartet was Tim Wickham, Claire Phillips, Thayer Preece and Sam Payne, of CSO and other groups and regulars around town.  But so nice to hear these controlled, educated, trained voices that sat so well together, intoned some difficult intervals with aplomb, especially the deeper voices, but maybe it's easier there.  Not sure.  And a concert with an interval, less common in my recent experience.  Lovely, expect to hear it on ArtSound sometime.

Helen Swan (musical director) and Kylie van Dijk (associate MD) variously conducted The Resonants at Weston Creek Uniting Church in a range of choral works and with the accompaniment of Emily Leong (piano) and a string quartet comprising Tim Wickham and Claire Phillips (violins), Thayer Preece (viola) and Sam Payne (cello).

Choral weekend 1

First up was The Resonants performing a very meditative and gentle concert entitled Go gently.  In three parts with instrumental numbers separating.  First up, more religious, Benedictus, Lux Aeterna and the like, occasionally with piano or guitar accompaniment and once with cello and piano.  Then a piano interlude, Brahms Intermezzo Amaj, and a grouping on hope and love, with some accompaniment from choir members, on ocarina, cymbals and recorder.  Then, to end, a solo guitar,, Vivaldi Largo from Lute concerto Dmaj, and four more songs on sleep and stars and water and singing gently, three of which by Eric Whitaker.   This was a relatively quiet choral concert, pensive and meditative, with lovely harmonies and ever expansive consonance but always with an eye on the time.  Kings College Cambridge Choir was in town that evening.  Quite lovely.

The Resonants were conducted by Helen Swan (musical director) and accompanied variously by Emily Leong (piano), Steve Allen (guitar) and Katherine Wilkinson (cello).

An Australian to the world

Canberra has shown me a very international Australia. I didn't have that feeling in Adelaide. It's derivative from the home of Federal government and associated institutions, the diplomatic core and the universities especially ANU, but also the people in our streets. I first noticed it with Frank Gambale, guitarist from the Pro Audio family who played around town in the '80s and has since recorded a string of albums with Chick Corea. And the daughter of a work colleague who was a famed model in Paris and NYC. So, it's no particular surprise that Igitur nos played the music of Penelope Thwaites, of Melbourne but with relatives here, one of whom led and sang at this concert: Veronica Thwaites-Brown. This is modern music but with firm historical awareness - I even heard some jazz harmonies - with themes of Shakespeare and psalms and a missa brevis and a wedding gloria. The performance was beautifully done. Sweet harmonies from a capable choir, clear singing from soprano, mezzo and two tenors, empathetic accompaniment from piano and organ and even drums, and one feature from a children's choir. There's concern for humanity here, chosen to fit events or to express the words of various writers including her late father Michael Thwaites, once of Canberra. It's interesting to compare Michael reading his poem (find it on SoundCloud with music played by Penelope) and Penelope's musical take on this and further, the local interpretation. I enjoyed this concert immensely, but also admired it, for its worthiness and seriousness and all round excellent musicianship, in composition and performance. I find announcements for Penelope's music being performed in London, but nice to see we beat London to the premiere of one of the works, Five Shakespeare songs. Not that it's so important, but it's amusing. Penelope is clearly one very impressive Australian in the world and this was a very impressive array of locals performing her music.

The music of Penelope Thwaites was performed at St Paul's Manuka by Igitur Nos (choir) under Matthew Stuckings (conductor, director) with soloists Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo-soprano), Greta Claringbould (soprano), Ken Goodge and Raphael Hudson (tenors) and the Hawker Harmonists (children's choir). Accompaniment was by Emily Leong (piano) and Colleen Rae-Gerrard (piano, organ) and James Sneddon (drums).

Bah telephones

Now this was a blast. Baritone David Smith introduced the truncated performance of American rhapsodies in its serious sense, of the American period after WW2, when hopes for democracy and freedom were high and serious music was made from popular American music and European opera was reimagined as a popular art. Thus we had Some enchanted evening, that entrancing melody from that famed musical, South Pacific, one of the classic musicals, famed for dealing with more serious themes. And we had Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin's fabulous work of classical awareness with popular exuberance. [Interestingly, RiB was commissioned by Paul Whiteman and originally scored for piano and jazz band]. And a strange but amusing thing from Menotti, his short opera buffa called The Telephone, in which the female protagonist interrupts her beau's profession of love by taking and making phone calls. David and accompanist Emily performed Enchanted evening straight, revelling in the melody and sentiment. Fair enough: it's a beautiful thing. Then Emily performed RiB for solo piano with an amusing but apt video of snippets from B+W films of the era (streamed to a genuine old HMV B+W TV. Lots of slinky dresses and natty moustaches and kisses and fearful swoons, a ridiculously muscled Tarzan and many famous faces. I enjoyed both but had to draw myself away from the video to listen to Gershwin's fabulous piece. It just shows the power of visuals. Then Louise hamming it up as the loved one in rollers, obsessed with her new tech telephone and her girlfriends' chatter over it, while David, the beau, about to depart, is interrupted in presenting a ring. Poor Louise, not knowing what she's missing, but it works out in the end ... over the phone. Very hammy, very period funny, very well done, great singing. Louise's voice was a veritable powerhouse of thrilling, trilling soprano. All a great entertainment with some well practiced skills treated with appropriate seriousness. Fabulous is apt.

Louise Keast (soprano), David Smyth (baritone) and Emily Leong (piano) performed American Rhapsodies at Wesley.

Songs sung

Louise Keast got together a few friends for this Wednesday lunchtime gig at Wesley. I know Louise as a capable cellist in Maruki. I hadn't heard her as a singer. She started the gig singing a duet with fellow (but quite differently-sounding) soprano Karyn Tisdell with piano accompaniment by Emily Leong. This was a dream. The piece was Delibes Sous le dome epais (Flower duet) from Lakme. Everyone knows this and it's a gloriously beautiful melody. I could only melt, from the song itself and the singing, especially when paired. Fabulous. Then tenor Lachlan McIntyre supported by a string quartet singing Vaughan Williams Silent noon and baritone Jared Lopez with piano and string quartet singing the longest work of the day, Faure La bonne chanson, with many parts and lasting perhaps 25 minutes. The final one was obviously the major work and, I understand, arranged by Jared. The Faure was long and complex and impressive and the VW was a stately period piece, but I must say the beauty of the Delibes was the winner for me. But nice work all around.

Louise Keast (soprano, cello) collected singers and instrumentalists for a performance at Wesley: Karyn Tisdell (soprano), Lachlan McIntyre (tenor), Jared Lopez (baritone), Emily Leong (piano), Clara Barrs and Elisha Adams (violins) and Anne Bicknell (viola).

Mike's history of music

Mike Dooley played me a take on Mozart a few years back at the Moruya Festival. It was mightily authentic to my ears and I guess a start on what turned into a composer's journey though music. We heard the full panoply the other night at All Saints. Mike had written pieces in various styles - baroque, early classical, late classical, romantic, modern - and gathered a string of excellent local players to perform and it was a stunning achievement. A Suite in A minor in 4 movements for the baroque, a Sonata in C major in 3 movements for early classical and so on through time. You get the idea. A folly, perhaps; a training exercise, probably; a tour de force, certainly. These were all works written for piano. The players were amongst the best in town: James Huntingford, Emily Leong, Aaron Chew, Andrew Rumsey, Sally Greenaway, Mike himself. I see my tastes changing as I'm playing and learning this music. I may have preferred baroque in the past but my faves for the night were late classical (Emily Leong) and Russian romantic Pilgrim fantasia (Aaron Chew). But the others were all well constructed and well played. I have a recording from the night but I wasn't alone: the conglomeration of mics and video was amusing. We can look forward to a video or clips, an ArtSound broadcast, a CD and perhaps more. Don't miss it. A stunning achievement of composition matched with admirable performances all round. All this at All Saints one Saturday evening late in November. Mmm, that suggests CDs under the Christmas tree.

Mike Dooley (composer) presented his original compositions in various "fine music" styles as Anachronisms : a composer's journey through time. Compostions were performed by James Huntingford, Emily Leong, Aaron Chew, Andrew Rumsey, Sally Greenaway and Mike Dooley (piano).