CIV26

The mysterious title refers to the 72nd Intervarsity Choral Festival held in Canberra over the last week or so.  Shilong put out a call for orchestral players to play with the choristers for the final concert in mid-January to end the 2 week festival.  Given the main work was Brahms German Requiem, I was a ring-in.  It was all brought together over those 2 weeks with the final concert of ~150 in Llewellyn on Saturday, no doubt preceding a celebratory pub party thereafter.  Thus is the way of intervarsity events, at least from what I remember.  It was a long program.  The main work was the German requiem under Olivia with Andrew Fysh and Evangeline Osborne soloing; delicate and desperate and driving over 7 movements totalling ~1 hour.  What a thrill to revisit this work in the luxurious surroundings of Llewellyn Hall.  Then a second half with Phantom of the opera, Slavonic dances, Sabre dance and Brahms again with his playful but still challenging Academic Festival Overture, all under Shilong, and a final work, Everything sings, with the choir and Anthony Smith accompanying.  The first week was only 2 calls for strings while the second was busy with 1 for orchestra, 3 for orch & choir and the final concert.  But the thrill of Brahms stays and this was memorable and concentrated and interestingly with an orchestra thrown together from several local ensembles.  And to top it off, we were recorded by an engineer with 40 professional releases to his name.  Looking forward to hearing that.  A worthy performance of several great works.

Vita et Mors was the final concert of the Canberra Intervarsity Choral Festival 2026 (CIV26).  Shilong Ye and Olivia Swift (conductors) various led the choir and festival orchestra through Brahms x2, Lloyd Webber, Dvorak, Khachaturian and a final song by TC Takach accompanied by Anthony Smith (piano).  Soloists for the Brahms German Requiem were  Andrew Fysh and Evangeline Osborne (vocals).

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).

Being community again

There’s a certain desperation that goes with a Community Play Day with a challenging piece and this suffered from that. It’s a mix of people you have or have not played with, learning and then performing a piece on one day, perhaps not really adequately prepared despite best intentions, and when the main piece is a challenge like Tchaikovsky 1812 overture with its chromatics and variously 6 sharps or flats along with some other keys, and those explosions (although just drums for our outing) and various odd timings, you can be somewhat wary. Certainly, the first run through showed some work was needed. But by the end, with some warmth in Albert Hall and a small audience and more readiness, the performance was still a challenge but also a great joy. It’s such a good piece and luckily pretty well known although that awareness can be tricky; counting is ultimately safer. I chatted with Canberra visitor Stephen at the after-party and he was very positive, enjoying the intimacy of the small gig, perhaps 40 audience for 80 performers, the impressive performance, the informality of the event and the dress, with no performer dress codes. I recorded and I caught a final shouted audience quip after the 1812 “do it again!”. It was like that, playful and entertaining while deadly serious. Great fun and a terrific sometimes terrifying outing. The opening piece, Miriam Hyde Village Fair, was much more sedate and still much loved; just not feared. We were 3 basses, there were plenty of mates from Maruki and Alan who sat in on bassoon truly at the last minute. I think this is just the second NCO Community Play Day and not quite as large as the last, but plenty of fun and inviting for external players and much fun had, so I expect it will continue. And as for those ringing tubular bells at the end of the 1812 and the rousing melody, just fabulous.

National Capital Orchestra and guests practised then performed Miriam Hyde Village Fair and Tchaikovsky 1812 overture at Albert Hall for a Community Play Day. Shilong Ye (conductor) led the proceedings.

Her music

Shilong presented a wonderful overview of Australian women composers with his program called Her music speaks for Musica da Camera.  I've played lots of music by women composers recently and lots of Australian composers, but not a full program (the closest was one by Sally Greenaway with MdCC a year or two ago).  Some of the composers were on this program, too.  They were Sally Greenaway, Corrina Bonshek, Helen Gifford, Margaret Sutherland, Betty Beath, Maria Grenfell and Elena Katz-Chernin.  And the music was delightfully varied and nothing disappointed.  Sally's homage to the Balkans and Batik was culturally influenced, bouncy and melodic.  Then through a slow pensive Dream, a free-like atonal and a-rhythmic piece that came together for me as  watched Shilong's conducting, all changing time signatures, sparse odd harmonies, varied techniques, even thumbs on bass.  I loved it.  Then a Margaret Sutherland concerto in three movements, an sad adagio lament for Kosovo, a homage to knitting unicorns to bring solace and optimism in hospital settings and a final jaunty and challenging piece in 5/4 and various divisions thereof by Elena Katz-Chernin Fast Blue Village 5.  For this concert, I was in the audience recording so it was a new vision of MdCC but also missing playing such an imaginative program.  Well done all round.

Shilong Ye (musical director) conducted Her Music Speaks for Musica da Camera Canberra.

Thinking of Prague

Perhaps strange but Brindabella Orchestra is the one orchestra I perform with that gets full houses.  The house is not too big, but it is full.  I don't play with Brinda always but I do play occasionally to fill in on bass when needed.  Brinda was my first orchestra so has a connection.  I also had a connection with this program.  We played The Moldau.  It's about the river that runs through Prague and we've walked over that.  We stayed near the clock tower for several days and I got to various jazz haunts although not the Jazz boat cruise (see under Prague in this blog).  Prague is also the home of Miro Bukovsky and Miroslav Vitous and George Mraz.  Miro tells of playing with Miroslav in his younger days.  But back to Canberra.  The program was the Moldau and selections from Coppelia and Phantom of the Opera and some Russian folk songs and to finish, an arrangement of the Blue Danube waltz complete with a dancing couple.  Shilong Ye is current conductor and he's a capable and affable leader and great for Brinda.  I erred occasionally, but I was happy to hear that one cello bear me hadn't noticed.  I cover well.  So, a pleasurable afternoon with an old haunt.

Brindabella Orchestra performed at Weston under Shilong Ye (conductor).

Potholing

Musica da Camera had its performance weekend.  This one was under Shilong Ye and with an obscure but interesting list of compositions.  Bartok and Delius, and Volkmann, Glazunov and Nielsen.  The last three are pretty obscure even if the names somewhat ring a bell.  Not impossible stuff, but with its own challenges: some odd counts, an occasional 5/4 variation, some solo bass parts that were important, requiring some conscious counting.   We played the standard local outing in Cook, then our Sunday drive was to Gundaroo.  Our recent country performances have been in Gunning, but given the potholes, the closer town was a gift to the suspension.  There were a few last minute swerves from some very scary water-filled potholes along the way.  And the Soldiers' Memorial Hall is a lovely, dark thing with a cathedral ceiling in wood, so lovely direct reverberations.  Warm in temp (given the gas heaters) and warm in reverb.  We played the Saturday well so the step up for the replay was not so large; both were decent outings.  So a satisfying weekend with some decent, lesser known music.

Musica da Camera performed Bartok, Delius, Volkmann, Glazunov and Nielsen at Cook and Gundaroo under Shilong Ye (director).

Premiere

I hold a spot in my heart for the Brindabella Orchestra because they were the first orchestra I played with.  I left down the track after playing Beethoven 5 with Maruki and I've moved further on since.  I like to play the big and challenging works, all the movements, the repertoire.  It's an incredible pleasure and challenge, but I still go back occasionally to Brinda and I did this weekend to hear them playing a world premiere, no less.  It was The old man who loved to sing, a children's book put to music by Mike Dooley, no less,  under commission by Brinda.  A mate and a capable composer.  This was a great pleasure with an intimate and attractive theme, some pretty melody and glorious orchestration and harmonies.  I was mightily impressed.  Brinda also did a run of smaller well-known works:: Saint-Saens Carnival of the animals, Bizet Carmen suite, Borodin Steppes of Central Asia, Nicolai Merry wives of Windsor and Strauss Sr Radetsky March.  There was great pleasure there, not least in the playful or boisterous themes, Radetsky, of course, but also The Elephant or Les Toerdors.  It';s the sort of thing that brings smiles to the faces of some players and I enjoyed watching a few like this isn the cello section.  So a memorable outing for a fine world premier by Michael Dooley and otherwise some popular and joyous works. 

Brindabella Orchestra under Shilong Ye (conductor) performed a world premiere by Mike Dooley along with Saint-Saens, Bizet, Borodin, Nicolai and Strauss Sr in Weston.

Chortles

Brindabella Orchestra played on Sunday and I sat it.  Nice program, nicely developed orchestra with Shilong Ye as the current conductor, nice cello solo on a Dvorak Rondo for cello and orchestra and overall a great little program.  None too difficult but musically interesting.  More Dvorak with a few Slavonic dances and Gounod Faust for more dances, although more balletic in style.  Both those were lively outings.  Faure Pavane was mightily different.  Not hard but demanding soft, responsive pizz throughout and really quite beautiful.  I relax with pizz, being a jazzer, but it taxes my sense of time.  I do tend to sit ahead of the beat in jazz to drive the swing, but classical requires pizz right on the beat and it can be unforgiving as pizz from a string of instruments arrive at different times.  It can happen.  The Cello Rondo, too, had some lovely touches, bowed, but reminiscent of pizz, a two feel that moved behind the cello melody from solid and tight to bouncy and balletic.  It was a very satisfying change and a similar thing appeared in our last work, Brahms Academic Festival Overture.  It's the third time I've played this in concert so my understanding is expanding.  Brahms is perhaps my favourite composer, not for difficult or busy lines but for clever constructions and variations.  AFO is a hoot, they say drinking songs and the university theme song, written to announce his honorary doctorate.  It just seems like all manner of styles and snippets thrown in together, brilliantly contrived, gorgeously humourous, mostly pretty playable, but a few testing syncopations and descending themes.  Great stuff.  It often brought me a chortle at the audaciousness of it all.  Thus another concert much enjoyed. Thanks to Brinda and Shilong and Sam and Celeste who invited me.

Brindabella Orchestra performed Dvorak, Faure, Gounod and Brahms at the Weston Community Hub.  Shilong Ye (conductor) led and Sam Payne (cello) soloed on Dvorak Rondo op.94.

A return for Christmas

It was a rushed affair but not too difficult to pick up and with some inviting music.  Celeste asked me to sit in with Brindabella Orchestra for their end of year, Christmas concert.  I managed just two (?) practices and spent the week before in Melbourne but I managed to get through.  And, at its best, the music was delightful.  We did a few movements of Vaughan Williams songs (more stodgy than delightful, but that's the English style).  Sibelius Andante festivo was lovely, as was a Sound of Music suite.  Libertango was a blast but that's pretty much inevitable.  We also did a string of Christmas carols and a suite of them.  Those were all performed by orchestra or strings alone.  The winds and brass and percussion did an Abba medley and a swing piece.  We were preceded by the professionals, our conductor led his Grevillea String Quartet playing Haydn Lark quartet and a collection of tunes from the Nutcracker suite.  The quartet was classy, nicely intoned, sharply interactive and the rest.  Nice.  And they sat in with the orchestra for our performance.  I melted over some of the melodies, not least Sound of Music.  Surely not, but yes.  Is it a function of age, or maybe just a realisation of the beauty of good melody, think Richard Rodgers and Abba and Beatles and the like.  So, a first concert since April and very pleasant at that.

Grevillea String Quartet performed Haydn and Tchaikovsky.  GW comprise Shilong Ye and Matthew Witney (violins), Julia Clancy (viola) and Samuel Payne (cello).  Brindabella Orchestra was conducted by Shilong Ye.

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).

AWO, ANAM, CGGS

It was a rushed job to get there and record (after a night in Yass with Bassano) but I enjoyed Forrest National Chamber Orchestra's concert in the CGGS Chapel. It's a mixed group of experienced players and young students. The music is always satisfying. This program featured Albinoni, Elgar, Haydn, Vaughan Williams and Bizet. The Haydn was his Cello concerto no.1 CMaj performed by Samuel Payne, now a teacher at CGGS (Canberra Girls Grammar School). He's youthful but a graduate of Sydney Con, ANAM, a performer under Zubin Mehta in the Australian World Orchestra and a CSO member. His performance was graceful and firmly spelled out and played from memory. I like that determination in performance: neat and precise. The Greensleeves was a lovely thing, with some piano. The Bizet was one I know well as I've played it. The Elgar was his Elegy for strings op.58 was fairly short and pensive. The other piece was Albinoni Sinfonia Gmaj, all baroque dignity and danceability. FNCO was variously conducted by Gillian Bailey-Graham and Shilong Ye. Nice one

Forrest National Chamber Orchestra performed in the CGGS Chapel under Gillian Bailey-Graham and Shilong Ye (conductors) with soloist Samuel Payne (cello) playing Haydn.

Pleasures

This latest pleasure was to play with the Forrest National Chamber Orchestra. Gillian Bailey-Graham formed the FNCO in 2007 to provide experience for advanced string students in the string orchestra repertoire and to develop technique. I've just heard them once before, at Wesley, although I've played with Gillian in Musica da Camera for the last year. I joined too late to get my mind fully around the difficult, main piece of the concert, Dvorak Serenade no.1 in Emajor, although the others were mostly OK. They were Purcell Abdelazer suite, Marcello oboe concerto, Sibelius Romance and Faure Pie Jesus. Gudrun Drake joined for oboe on the Marcello overture; Jackie McIntyre sang the Faure; Gillian conducted most works but Shilong Le conducted the Marcello; Rebecca Lovett led as concertmaster. The Faure was to die for, the sort of work that brings tears to eyes, and Jackie did a wonderful job on it. The oboe concerto was a neat baroque piece what Gudrun played with clarity and a capable commitment. The orchestra contains a mix of experienced, mature players, several with professional, orchestral experience, and young but serious students. It's another little-known gem in Canberra. Another discovery was the room: the Canberra Girls Grammar Chapel with the altar as stage. I've heard concerts there but never performed on the altar. The very first notes I played on bass felt huge and others confirmed it's a great acoustic. Acoustics must fit performance, of course, but it worked for this group. I expect it's various ceiling and wall shapes and angles that reflect sound back to the altar. Whatever, it was nice. And hi to Nari who doubled my bass on her cello for the Dvorak and others.

Forrest National Chamber Orchestra performed Purcell, Marcello, Sibelius, Faure and Dvorak at Canberra Girls Grammar School Chapel under Gillian Bailey-Graham and Shilong Ye (conductors), Rebecca Lovett (violin, concertmaster) with soloists Gudrun Drake (oboe) and Jackie McIntyre (vocal).

Jazz band with choir?

I saw a Facebook status comment saying someone was watching jazz with a choir. The friend throught that was pretty strange. It was us! Jazz Republic was playing with the Rhythm Syndicate choir. It was a gig for the C100 Musical Offering, at the Brassey Hotel. Our pianist, Mike, is the accompanist for RS and he drew us in to read charts for a few tunes. It was an interestingly mixed gig. RS sang with Mike for some songs, with JR for about 10 others, and JR played several short sets in between. RS sang standards and rock & roll and early jazz, but also Sting’s Field of gold, with some more complex harmonies. I particularly enjoyed The nearness of you, given it’s such a lovely ballad, and a cute song of innocent film seduction called Baby it’s cold [outside] (girl plans to leave, boy warns of snow and cold, mmm). On the contrary, our JR sets were hot with fast takes on a string of tunes, especially a take on My finest hour at breakneck speed, but also a few funky numbers, Chameleon, of course, and Wayne Shorter’s Adam’s apple. This was fun and good practice in chart reading and hits. A very enjoyable outing at the Brassey. BTW, the first Sunday each month is Big Band afternoon at the Brassey. Good to keep in mind.

Rhythm Syndicate was accompanied by Jazz Republic at the Brassey Hotel. RS is led by Shilong Ye (musical director, conductor) and accompanied by Mike Dooley (piano). JR are Mike Dooley with Richard Manderson (saxes), Eric Pozza (bass) and Brenton Holmes (drums).