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).

An unlikely forty winks

Apparently someone heard snoring in the audience and was surprised given this was a Shostakovich symphony but Rami was just 6 months old so, so be it.  NCO is generous to its audience!  But jokes side this was a big and impressive gig.  NCO played Shostakovich Symphony 5, Weber Bassoon concerto with Ben Hoadley as soloist and Ella Macens  The space between stars.  Ella had studied with Louis so was close to home, but well regarded in her own light.  The Macens is a work celebrating the night sky, picturing stars, constellations, even meteors, all long notes and slow tempos and defined dynamics moving amongst parts.  The Weber is a renowned concerto on the cusp of classical, neat and ordered, steady with flashy inserted passages, ponderous but pensive second movement, and a quick, lively, buoyant third.  This was fun.  The orchestra could have overwhelmed the solo bassoon, but was delightfully restrained.  I personally loved the light touch this demanded.  It also demanded a good ear for Ben and a trained eye for Louis, for there were some very malleable tempos.  But so lovely and satisfying to play.  Then to the interval and the main work: Shostakovich Symphony no.5 op.47.  It was all a confusing mess at first but came together with practice and rehearsals and ended in concert as a fascinating, challenging expanse over four movements.  Plenty of action for the basses who start two movements with gutsy melodies.  There's a truly delicious passage for the concert master, explosive runs throughout, odd movements and harmonies (I drooled over a passage running scalar to Bb then dropping to an E to end.  Louis directed with aplomb, the winds were stupendous as they so often are, I'd heard some touchy intonations in the basses, but listening after to a little video I thought the intonation was quite professional.  But it's a complex and different work thus challenging and I can only admire people who enjoyed it if not knowing it before.  This is big and a difficult listen but fascinating.  How wonderful to have played it.

National Capital Orchestra performed Ella Macens, Carl Maria von Weber and Dmitri Shostakovich at Snow concert hall under Louis Sharpe (MD, conductor) with soloist Ben Hoadley (bassoon) and Thayer Preece (concertmaster).  String bottom enders were Henry South (principal), Juliet Flook, Jennifer Groom, Talia Meischke, Jeremy Tsuei and Eric Pozza (double bass).

Thanks to Sophia for the bassists pic.