History and today

The first Wesley Wednesday lunchtime concert for the year was a doozy, starting with Hildegard von Bingen and ending with modern Americana by composer Caroline Shaw.  And the performers were apt.  Rachel Mink sang and she told that her parents live near a property sung of, and the youthful and exploratory and very capable Ellery String Quartet provided accompaniment, with a range of noises and techniques, not least picks/plectrums on strings.  Both Rachel and Ellery were stunning and apt in performance, but I was somewhat befuddled by the modern music.  This comprised two works, each of several parts/movements.  First was Plan and Elevation: the grounds of Dumbarton Oaks, picturing the Cutting garden, Herbaceous border, Orangery and the like; second was By & By, comprising several parts putting ~century old lyrics on death and related themes from various authors to music: Will there be any stars in my crown?; Angel Band; O Death; I'll fly away.  But it did get me thinking as I followed the lyrics.  And also it had me intrigued by a range of tones and techniques used: bowings; slow harmonic movements; tapping instruments; most unexpectedly, plectra including a big blue one for cello.  Odd and unexpected and a very different aural space from Bach and the like.  I think of voice as more established and Rachel's was lovely and nicely controlled.  Voice remains the greatest instrument to my ears, but then it is us, not just our invention, so not unexpected.  And it speaks ideas not just impressions.  So, a concert that was challenging in techniques and heavy in themes so probably an apt start to a new year of music at Wesley.

Rachel Mink (soprano) and Ellery String Quartet presented America Voices at Wesley.  ESQ comprised Brad Tham and Anika Chan (violins), Pippa Newman (viola) and Chloe Law (cello).

Run down to Christmas

The final concert of the year in the Wesley Wednesday lunchtime series is always the Wesley Scholars.  I'm not sure how it's run, but it's obviously an opportunity for some talented performers to get some extra training.  It's quite common to see these faces performing in various other groups around town.  I once saw Ellery String Quartet at Government House, no less, and they are comprised of scholars from this year's bunch.  First and last up was a vocal quartet comprising members of Kompactus and others.  They sang two carols in Swedish or other and later a few in English.  Amusingly, I'll be home for Christmas as in Dean Martin, jazz with classical awareness - very lithe and beautifully done - and Deck the halls in 7/8, no less.  I liked, too, that they took some lines as pairings of voices making the sources of pitches much easier to catch.  The Soprano is easy to identify but the other parts can be more lost in the mix.  Then Ellery Quartet with a very lively arrangement of three tunes by the Danish String Quartet and a few carols including one with cello pizz all the world like a jazz walk.  The tinges in my ears of other countries' folk music suggested connections and maybe migrations around the world.  Then a duo of violin and cello playing three movements from a Boccherini sonata, older and frequently joyous and danceable in the styles of that era.  A lively, lovely, carol-heavy last concert of the year from Evie, Pippa, Martin, Jesse, Brad, Anika, Chloe, Tanya and Gabriel.

The Wesley Scholars performed the final Wednesday lunchtime concert of the year at Wesley.  The Vocal quartet comprised Evie Osbourne, Pippa Newman, Martin Magill and Jesse Hill.  The Ellery String Quartet comprised Brad Tham and Anika Chan (violins), Pippa Newman (viola) and Chloe Law (cello).  The duo comprised Tanya Boag (violin) and Gabriel Fromyhr (cello).

Surveying the future

The pic is of the current batch of Wesley Music Scholars performing Mozart Ave verum corpus and it was deeply satisfying but it was just the final number for this concert and it wasn't really indicative at all.  In fact, there were all manner of combinations playing all manner of musics, from Gaelic and classical, contemporary to jazz and even one original. Impressive.  But the Mozart was lovely.  Otherwise Brad and Anika played a lovely chaconne as a violin duo.  Phoebe sang time-free and unaccompanied Gaelic song, then a Handel aria.  The Ellery String quartet (Brad and Anika with Pippa and James) played two fascinating contemporary pieces: one a groove-strong country-like piece that had me think of the Ozarks and a Holly Harrison number called Swoop that just must have been about Magpies.  Then James alone playing a Kodalj cello concerto in non-standard tuning (C and G strings tuned down a semitone for an open Bmin).  Then an as yet unnamed unaccompanied vocal quintet singing that original by Jesse, Peace offering, and another Irish traditional song.  Then some jazz: Evangeline singing From the start and Autumn leaves to Martin's piano, and then the  ending with the lovely, delicate Mozart.  Quite a ride and some great playing.  The quartet is nicely established and comfortable and impressive.  The other groupings were less settled, perhaps, but plenty of promise.  So just lovely.

Wesley Music Scholars performed at a Wesley Wednesday lunchtime concert. The scholars were Evangeline Osborne (soprano), Phoebe Bourke (mezzo-soprano), Pippa Newman (alto), Martin Magill (tenor, piano), Jesse Hill (baritone) and the Ellery String Quartet comprising Brad Tham (violin), Anika Chan (violin), Pippa Newman (viola) and James Munro (cello).

Coming Christmas

It's the end of the calendar year and Christmas is around the corner and the final Wednesday lunchtime concert at Wesley is always the Wesley Music Scholars.  It's a worthy thing that Wesley does, some sort of training-cum-scholarship for worthy students and Liz was suggesting they are about to expand it with four singers to cover SATB and provide the base for classical singing in the church.  BTW, in case you didn't notice, I record these concerts so attend virtually all, and it's a short weekly duty that I enjoy, but that explains these concerts on CJ.  The scholars this day were a string trio of Brad, Anika and Pippa, a solo trumpet Jess and a pianist-cum-tenor Martin.  The trio played a lovely Dvorak with admirable playful interaction.  The Martin performed a Debussy but more interestingly, Praetorius Es ist ein Ros entrspringen (=It's a rose) sung while played on piano.  Now this piano man routine is common enough in pop, folk and the like, but I was quite bewildered to see it in a classical context but of course why not.  I realised after that he also plays jazz, so again, why not.  Then Jess on solo trumpet playing Goedicke and Charlier, two etudes, and Martin and the trio returned for a sung Kodaly and an encore on a lovely arrangement Holy night in three choruses.  Given the call from the audience and the easy response, I guess this was set up but why not.  So lovely and a joyous end to the Wesley Wednesdays for the year.

 Wesley scholars Brad Tham and Anika Chan (violins), Pippa Newman (viola), Martin Magill (piano, voice) and Jess Hill (trumpet) performed at Wesley.

CIMF starters

It was a big day with two major pre-CIMF events.  First up was a session with Tim Lamble to help setup for recording in the Fitters Workshop.  No easy task, this, with long cables from front to back and mics to hang from lighting trusses.  Setting up the trusses alone was the work of 10-or-so people plus those outside setting up temporary entrance rooms and a few for other things.  It's surprising how much is involved.  No wonder people question that I can take my double bass, bass amp, PA and lighting in my Golf.  My gear is nothing like this!  And then session 2 for the CIMF day, a reception at Government House, no less, for CIMF volunteers.  Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, the GG's wife, is patron of CIMF thus the invitation.  It was not my first visit to Govt House (that dated back to Ninian Stevens ' days) but my first formal reception.  We were ushered in after showing photo ID, heard a short concert by the young but wonderfully capable Meyer piano quartet playing some very challenging Mahler (featuring echoed lines) and Brahms (with rabidly fast unison lines), chatted in the dining room and explored the public rooms and the art (on loan from NGA).  Some big names in Australian art hanging there.  The reception was pleasant, the company was chatty, the hosts, His Excellency the GG and Ma'am, were friendly.  We dressed to the nines, of course, and that also was fun.  Amusingly we were to attend a session on effective protest/activism immediately thereafter.  Oh, the bewilderment of life for this republican.  But more on the talking cure later.

CIMF 2023 started for me with Fitters Workshop setup and a Government House reception for CIMF volunteers.  The Meyer Piano Quartet performed at the reception.  The Meyer Quartet are David Cavenagh (piano), Brad Tham (violin), Pippa Newman (viola), James Monro (cello)