Limestone transforming

I'd been asked to record an expanded Limestone Consort playing Vivaldi Nisi Dominus and more at St Paul's, Manuka.  Always happy to do it if I can and this was an opportunity for my multitrack option which is better but more tension-inducing and time-consuming.  So be it.  Limestone can vary quite radically these days for their concerts.  This one had harpsichord and organ from Ariana, baroque flute and viola d'amore from Jennifer and John and three female voices from Maartje, Veronica and Greta, so a fascinating and very period outing.  It started mild and it was never going to be loud in such a space.  John's viola d'amore is quiet (and demanding to tune!) and the organ and harpsichord are none too loud.  The female voices, though, were strong as were the other strings, so it was very much a matter of balance on the day.  Christoph Graupner (new to me, too) Concerto for flute and viola d'amore was very restrained despite a few vivace movements.  Then two Vivaldi songs with Maartje and Giovanni Battista Vitali Ciaccona op.7 (no, not that ciaconne and not that Vitali: Tomaso Antonio was GB's eldest son).  And then the main work of the day: Vivaldi Nisi Dominus.  Again, not the only one, apparently.  This demanded all performers, although in varied combinations.  Three singers at start and end, with solos and a duet totalling 8 movements.  Religious again, obviously but with an inviting lilting, four-feel top and bottom and three beautiful voices in such lovely harmony: Maartje as alto; Greta as soprano; Veronica as mezzo-soprano.  It was a tight and close harmony at a lovely female pitch and so very beautiful!  So this was not such a long concert and not such a loud or intrusive one, but it had some things of great baroque beauty and a huge please to hear again in my recordings.

Limestone Consort performed Vivaldi and others at St Paul's Manuka.  For this concert, LC comprised Jennifer Brian (flute), John Ma (viola d'amore, violin, viola), Lauren Davis and Michelle Higgs (violins), Clara Teniswood (cello) and Ariana Odermatt (harpsichord, organ) with singers Maartje Sevenster (alto), Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo-soprano) and Greta Claringbould (soprano).

Of a martyred Roman and her slave

I've known Mike for quite a few years and it seems his compositional daring and chops just keep expanding so even though I was overwhelmed to think a mate had written an oratorio, I was not really surprised.   And I've heard his music.  The jazz is melodic with nice chords and satisfyingly witty lyrics.  Then his classical.  He put out a few albums of classical in the style of the greats, Mozart and Bach and the rest.  I first heard workings at our digs for a Moruya Jazz Fest.  Then I played in the NCO behind his piano concerto.  Now this.  An oratorio.  Think Messiah and the like.  Big works of song and choir and orchestration.  They presented religious themes at times when secular themes were not acceptable or suitable for performance in church.  It's a big work.  I was impressed by Mike, again.  It's big and costly to stage, so Mike presented a few public iterations of a video of the recording sessions.  21 or so players, from CSO and Coro and the cream of local vocal soloists; 9 hours recording over 3 days at Canberra Girls Grammar School concert hall, acoustically treated if still with some residual noise issues; 35-or-so mics.  And a religious story, of saints and martyrs from ~200CE, the Roman noblewoman Perpetua and Felicity, perhaps her servant, and several other free men martyred for their Christian faith.  Mike used her first person narrative, some Biblical quotes and some Latin from Ambrose for the text.  The music was variously influenced: Mike suggested baroque and early music and film music (he has also composed for several films).  I melted with the first introductory piece with a theme that recurs to end and sometimes during.  I was enamoured by the vocals, the clear soprano of Emma Griffiths as Perpetua, but her soloist offsiders were similarly impressive, Veronica Thwaites-Brown and Dan Walker and Andrew Fysh.  All hyper-known names in this field in Canberra.  They were chorally accompanied on some tunes by Coro, a blissful vocal collection of harmonists, and instrumentally supported by a string of CSO and related Canberra players.  Bassist Kyle was in line of sight with Emma/Perpetua so I got so watch him often, but there were lots of familiar faces to observe.  Suffice to say the music and singing really was of wonderful quality and often-enough spine tingling.  The whole work is one CD length, ~1 hour, 24 pieces.  Some were short and sweet, a father's imploring or a mother's lamenting or a martyr's injuries or a dream of Heaven and angels or a maid's protection given birth.  Interestingly, there are two key women and both have children here: Perpetua is 22 and breast feeding and miraculously loses her milk prior to her death and Felicity is with child, then gives birth, thus avoiding some form of death or other.  This is a story from 203CE Roman Empire in Carthage, of course, so we can observe how some things change and some things are forever the same.  The core martydom for emperor story may be of another world (although a speaker before the presentation would deny this) but the humanity of belief, family, conscience is common.  Mike has written a fabulous musical work and, as always, done it with love and purpose.  I am hugely impressed and often touched.

Mike Dooley (composer) presented his new oratorio called Perpetua as a video presentation of the recording session.  The performers were Emma Griffiths (soprano), Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo), Dan Walker (tenor), Andrew Fysh (bass), Coro (choir) and members of Canberra Symphony Orchestra and others.

A blessed Easter 2

This was other (extant) Bach Passion performed in Canberra. Igitur nos with St John Passion at the other Manuka venue, St Paul's. It was a more moderate affair but no less satisfying. Only one orchestra of 14 players (small so that one muso suggested only half an orchestra) with Evangelist and soloists and a smaller but still involving, powerful and skilled choir of 23 singers. This was shorter and more accessible than the St Matthew Passion. More accessible because it was more comprehensible, being in English. The version was the Bärenreiter Urtext in both German and English, but this was sung in the English and it made a huge difference. I followed the text (given in the program with just minimal changes from that sung), but mostly I could catch the words, at least from the solo Evangelist who told the story; some of the choral parts were not so immediately clear and often repeated lines rather than narrated. I caught a few details of the story that I'd missed, names like Caiaphas and Annas and Malchas and a hyssop branch and the like. I was thrilled by the chorus when it entered, all big and full and often contrapuntal, and awed by the Evangelist's job on the night. Evangelist Daniel MacMillan was trained at ANU but is living in WA at present; he was flown over for this performance. The complexity of his job had me wondering if his part was originally improvised. It certainly wouldn't be these days. We had prime seats and enjoyed watching the strings, just metres from us, not least Kyle, busy on bass, and Greta who both played viola and stood to sing occasional soprano parts. And the guidance of Matthew Stuckings who got all this together and conducted. It was standing room only for the performance, on an afternoon with setting sun raising temperatures in the church and a smaller experience than St Matthews but another hugely satisfying performance. Truly a blessed Easter.

Igitur nos performed JS Bach St John Passion on Good Friday at St Paul's Manuka. Matthew Stuckings (conductor) led Igitur nos chamber choir and orchestra with Daniel MacMillan (Evangelist), Greta Claringbould (soprano), Veronica Thwaites-Brown (mezzo-soprano), Charles Hudson (tenor), Colin Milner (baritone, Jesus).

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).

The Requiem the end

It was another she'll be right on the night and it was. Maruki played a combined concert with Canberra Community Voices and a few soloists. The main work was most of Mozart Requiem (what a pleasure to play that one!) but also a few other pieces to fill out the first half, not least with soprano soloist Lousie Keast (who also plays cello with Maruki when not singing up front). Particularly interesting for the bass section was our guest Chris Bainbridge (whose Mum and Dad were also performing, in orch and choir). He's a graduate of Maruki, ANU and ANAM and now studying in Vienna and an AYO bassist who's just toured Europe and China, performing, not least, at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. We were blessed. Four basses, a strong section. Loved it and I, for one, learnt a bit from playing with Chris. Otherwise, we played a gloriously beautiful piece, Mozart Ave verum corpus, a few overtures from Wagner and Rossini, some songs from Bizet and Puccini and some majestic choral numbers, Vivaldi Gloria and Handel Hallelujah chorus. And the soloists were excellent: Louise Keast (soprano and coordinator of the singers for this event), Veronica Thwaites-Brown, (interestingly, an excellent Maria in the Sound of Music that I played, amongst other more traditional performances), Lachlan McIntyre and Colin Milner. The Canberra Community Voices were directed by Kenneth Teoh (who, I read in the program, has played clarinet with the Berlin Phil, no less; a match for conductor John's time with the London Symph). But nothing can match the grandeur and beauty of great music like the Requiem or the pleasure in navigating the glorious and sometimes twisted basslines. A great pleasure all round.

Maruki Orchestra performed under John Gould (conductor). Canberra Community Voices is led by Kenneth Teoh (musical director). They performed Mozart Requiem and more at Albert Hall with singers Lousie Keast, Veronica Thwaites-Brown, Lachlan McIntyre and Colin Milner (vocal soloists).

Inducted as Pit player

I am now inducted as a Pit Player after finishing my half of the season of Sound of Music. I'm bass, of course, sharing with Naomi Barber. We were one of about 25 players on any one night, playing the charts for this popular, touching, if sentimental work. It's not hard to read or play, but it is surprisingly effective. SoM is by Rodgers & Hammerstein, so by a well known name in the business. It's not without reason that it's popular. I've been humming the tunes for weeks now and it's one for the kids. The opening night got a good review from our local stalwart, Peter Wilkins, so most nights thereafter were sold out or close to. The pit is partly covered so some instruments (including bass and cello) were dulled. I could just play louder and I needed to as a single bass often playing pizz. I've seen the actors in rehearsal but I could see nothing from my corner of the pit, so, other than the nuns' habits, I have no idea of costumes. What are Maria's dresses like, the ones that caused such consternation for the Captain? And how daggy were those curtains? As for the grown up dance and kiss, I have no idea. [Maybe our mature PM of the grown up government could advise; but then being grown up is not a concern for adults, just for adolescents]. I could chuckle at some quips though, and it's surprising how much extra I caught after hearing the script about a dozen times. And there were some audience comments which were good natured and fun, but some things strangely missed, like the "poverty, obedience and ... chastity" line that found some laughs in rehearsals but not in the shows I played. Cheers to the orchestra and Jennifer Groom who was musical director, and also to a great cast, including two families of children. Maria was the obvious standout, strong in acting and singing. Not for nothing that Peter Wilkins wrote "[Veronica] Thwaites-Brown's performance is a triumph in a production that will move audiences to tears, evoke laughter and remind us that we can all climb mountains to follow our dream". But the cast throughout was impressive and energetic and the singing was good and sometimes surprisingly so. Judith Colquhoun as Mother Abbess could bring you to tears with her feature song, Climb Every Mountain, and the wedding march also tugged heartstrings. It's been considerable work, lots of fun and gives a feeling of achievement. Thanks to Jennifer and orchestra and cast and crew for a great run.

Sound of Music was presented by the Queanbeyan Players at TheQ. Jennifer Groom (musical director) led the orchestra.

Peter Wilkins' review from Canberra Times