Brinda

I've got an affection for Brindabella Orchestra. They were the first orchestra I played with when I took up this style a few years ago, so it includes lots of friendly faces. This was their end-of-year concert and included a few works that I've touched on with them in the past. The program was a collection of marches and dances. Short works but by big names - Elgar, Delibes, Berlioz, Beethoven, Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Orff. Plus a Telemann that was a concerto rather than a dance or march, and a few modern dances from Fiddler on the Roof and Jamaican Rumba. So, an entertaining and lively program. I particularly liked the first, Elgar Pomp & Circumstance no.4, and the Telemann viola concerto Gmaj. Viola has such a nicely rich tone, I guess the alto to the violin's soprano, but it's a less common concerto instrument. Marilyn Moir played that one with considerable panache. I admire concerto players for the individual tone they must draw from the instrument; she did it nicely. The whole was conducted by Rosalie Hannink, sometimes cellist in the orchestra, oftentimes conductor. Brindabella is just another of the tapestry of classical groups in Canberra, one of several local symphony orchestras and an enduring joy for a committed group of players. Great to hear Brindabella again.

Brindabella Orchestra played a program of marches and dances at Queanbeyan Uniting Church. Rosalie Hannink (conductor) convened and Marilyn Moir (viola) soloed for a Telemann concerto.

Orch 3

Coming quick and fast recently. This was my third orchestral performance; my second with the Brindabella Orchestra. The program was fairly short, fairly light, but with a few difficulties. There were several challenging passages in Mendelssohn Hebrides overtures (Fingal's cave), and the final page was dark with semiquavers. We did a few movements of Dvorak Suite in A major (American): the fourth was luscious and the fifth was a counting nightmare with the 1 and 3 all over the place. Strauss Kaizerwalzer was a thing of delight and it will be interesting to play it in a few months with Maruki. Offenbach Orpheus in the Underworld is the CanCan and just a treat to play, all lively and rollicking and immensely joyous. I could not help but beam when the dance came up. Too bad, but no dancing girls for this performance (although I read in Wikipedia that men also danced the CanCan as an athletic and perhaps less salacious dance in mid-1800s Paris). The whole was held together with the Dam Buster march (immensely nostalgic for a certain age group) and ended with a JC Superstar medley which I found surprisingly satisfying. Again, great fun, a few mistakes from me, but the orchestra played with more ear and dynamics than at any practice. Just another confirmation of the adage: "She'll be right on the night".

Brindabella Orchestra performed a program called Musical journey. Rosalie Hannink conducted and Heather Shelley led from the principal violin seat. Rosalie hands over the baton to Peter Shaw for the next concert.

My inaugural orchestral concert

I missed the August Brindabella Orchestra concert due to prearranged travel but I was determined to perform for the November concert. I made it despite a thong-induced trip and resultant physio and a long pop gig the night before and little practice over the previous week to rest my left hand. But it was fun. There's little musical that will match an orchestra when it's in full flight. Brindabella has about 50 players and most instruments are covered. Our first violins were down on the day and there were a few visitors sitting in for ill members. It's not auditioned, so the playing varies; there are music teachers, amateurs, returnees and the like. We can slacken during some harder passages, don't always play every note, determine that we'll do the dynamics better next time, but it's a blast. We mostly play excerpts, movements of larger works. This concert featured Beethoven Coriolan Overture, movements of Brahms and a superbly pretty movement from Schubert's little symphony in C major (no.6, 4th mvt), Carl Orff, Misty and songs and dances from Britten and Vaughan Williams. Great stuff; not too difficult but still a challenge. I fluffed a few, but there's surprising space to cover the errors amongst so many players. The basses missed a DS and were surprised when everyone kept playing, but at least we did it together. Great fun and recorded for posterity. And BTW, new members are welcome; practices Saturday mornings.

The Brindabella Orchestra was conducted by Rosalie Hannink.