Bells of brass

Then music in the courtyard with Lyrebird Brass playing from the balcony above.  Again not optimal for recording or viewing and the chatter was constant but the sound was glorious - rounded, billowing, insistent - and the music was more melodic with lovely harmonies that sat so fat and satisfyingly.  They played six pieces over two shorter sets, I think all by Australian composers, including one world premiere.  I guess they come with the territory.  The feel was bellowing and confident and melodic and easy to love.  One of my faves.

Lyrebird Brass are Joel Brennan and Rosie Turner (trumpet), Carla Blackwood (horn), Dan Immel (trombone) and Alex Jeantou (tuba).  LB performed at NFSA for MOSSO during CIMF2026.

Movings

Recording the experimental can be a challenge, especially with a few minutes to peruse and setup.  But it's fascinating and fun and my stereo mic is decent so it works well enough.  This was a viola, centrally located, turning for movements played on various percussion instruments played in various locations in the space, with electronics on viola and perc driving other percussion.  Thus the performers in the gig included a named audio engineer.  All interesting and unusual...  But some simple viola lines, effective percussion at low volume and sometime explosive, rattling sheets of metal and more and viola echoes.  Quite fascinating and occasionally quite noisy.

Aaron Wyatt (viola, composition) and Eugene Ughetti (percussion, CIMF Artistic director) were effected by Rohan Goldsmith (audio engineer) at NFSA for MOSSO during CIMF2026.

Fest or Fringe

Then MOSSO, a festival within a festival, one full day of hourly music-making in various spaces at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), quite experimental or alternative, at least different, often with video accompaniment, perhaps more the fringe to the festival.  First up was Nat Bartsch with accompanying electronics, seemingly of her control at the grand piano written for neurodivergent sensory needs.  I'd warmed to see Nat earlier with her son at other concerts.  She spoke of her music,  her recordings and compositions for those varying sensory needs and uneasinesses.  I loved the play of acoustic and electronic, live and sampled, melody simple and inevitable.  Quite lovely.

Nat Bartsch (piano, electronics) performed at NFSA for MOSSO during CIMF2026.

Farther history

I'd enjoyed Lina tur Bonet immensely playing Rhapsody in Blue with Ensemble Liaison.  She's a lively player, bouncing in her seat, smiling around, inviting, matching her expressive playing.  This time she played baroque with Neal Peres da Costa on harpsichord.  Presumably she played a different instrument, certainly the bow was baroque, I'd expect he strings were gut.  And this time she stood, although till responding bodily to the music, playing various composers from the Spanish and Italian baroque, Salaverde and Meali, Scarlatti, Falconiero and Corelli La Folia, that symbol of improv of the era.  My notes suggest super-rapid bowing and fast changes, light baroque bow with a pointy tip and different balance, perhaps triplet feels and accents on 1s, chordal cycles, frequently danceable movements and dignified lines.

Lina Tur Bonet (violin) performed with Neal Peres da Costa (harpsichord) in the Gandal Hall for CIMF2026.

This is CJBlog post no. 3,150

Landmarks over time

The program lists the two major works played by the Australian String Quartet with Timothy Young, pianist from Ensemble Liaison, two works separated by 170+ years and claimed as landmarks.  The string quartet Interwoven by Australia Elizabeth Younan and Schumann piano quintet Ebmaj op44.  I write well after, but I noted a modern confusion (not meant as a pejorative!) of chromatics and counterpoint and rapid long scalar runs in Schumann mvt.3.

The Australian String Quartet are Dale Barltrop and Francesca Hiew (violins), Christopher Cartlidge (viola) and Michael Dahlenburg (cello).  They played with Timothy Young (piano) for the Schumann.  ASO and Timothy Young performed at Wesley for CIMF2026.

Learnings of history

Personal matters arose, so these CIMF reports are late and probably short.  Next concert was loud and able to fill the Opera House with soprano voice and rippling arpeggiated piano accompaniment of Wagner, lieder operatic period pieces.  I read of Wagner of the completeness of his Gesamptkunstwerk (=total work of art) to the extent of creating his own opera house to contain his works of leitmotifs, chromaticism, moving tonal centres and more.  We may not recognise these inventions from the past but he's significant as a precursor to modern music.  Difficult for some ears, though.  These were capable soprano and piano and a valuable awareness raiser to one's own lack of awareness of musical history.  But from our world, I squirm at the lyrics of the era: "Oh! How I give thanks to nature / for giving me such pain"; "It is only I that see this way / so wondrous and gentle".  Maybe it works in context.  Just not my scene, I guess.

Anna-Loise Cole (soprano) was accompanied by Kristian Chong (piano) singing Wagner lieder at Wesley for CIMF2026.

CJ delayed

CJ is missing in action.  Will return soon with further CIMF2026 and more.  Excuse the delay but family matters intervened.

England my England

I think of the King, our King, a presidential fave, and concert 2 for me is music from that domain.  The music is more impressive.  This was music of Britain, although hardly exhaustive!  Benjamin Britten; a contemporary composer Rebecca Clarke; Henry Purcell not so recent but influential on ... Benjamin Britten.  One of the volunteers complained that she didn't like BB: he'd been drummed into her as a piano student when young.  So be it, I understand.  I like it, although on the day I'm feeling modernist music is a little intellectual and unloved, perhaps from the immense success of the lyrical and story-telling Gershwin of the previous concert.  Just on the day, perhaps.  But the playing was to die for.  Australian String Quartet blasting away with precision and clarity and some edgy treble tones.

The Australian String Quartet are Dale Barltrop and Francesca Hiew (violins), Christopher Cartlidge (viola) and Michael Dahlenburg (cello). ASO played at Wesley for CIMF2026.

CIMF starter

I'm recording a swag of concerts in this year's Canberra International Music Festival.  Just audio, given how many there will be.  And just outside Snow Concert Hall, the central CIMF venue with its own recording systems in place.  And also missing some because they conflict with a few local choral concerts I've been asked to record.  So a busy few days, none-the-less.  First up was a fabulous introduction, Ensemble Liaison, I think essentially out of Melbourne but international in reputation: clarinet, cello and piano.  It's not a combination that I know, but I was entranced.  The theme was popular music in art-music settings.  Thus, Beethoven Trio for Clarinet, cello and piano (apt enough!), the Gassenhauer, with theatrical flair.  Then a take on Kate Ceberano Bedroom eyes, arranged by Nat Bartsch, bowing in one of the pics, a string of popular songs by Manuel de Falla.  But the master work for my ears and emotions was Gershwin Rhapsody in blue.  Fabulously played by the trio with addition of violin and button accordion, arranged from a two-piano arrangement, so very demanding on piano, and immensely popular, lyrical, expressive.  And in this case, tear jerking.  I felt emotional twangs and one person admitted to crying.  I could understand.  As a bottom ender, I was entranced by Svetlana's precise cello of easy rapidity.  David's clarinet was a beauteous tone, and his intros were informative and just easily friendly.  Timothy was doing the work of two pianos, so exceptionally busy, and always on top of the role.  Then Lina joining on violin adding harmony in strings and a very buoyant seating, where she's almost jump out of her seat while expressed the tune.  And James, here with an ever-present chordal part.  Loved this starter, especially the Gershwin which will remain a stunning memory.

Ensemble Liaison comprised David Griffiths (clarinet), SvEtlana Bogosavljevic (cello) and Timothy Young (piano).  EL performed Beethoven, Ceberano and de Falla.  They were joined by Lina Tur Bonet (violin) and James Crabb (button accordion) for Gershwin at Wesley for CIMF2026.

Woman of several colours

I know Carol from local orchestras, playing violin, then from a successful outing with her rock band, IT Grrrls, in that APS band comp at Smiths over recent years, and now as an author, in a similar theme, of her book, a retrospective of life as woman in IT.  And they all came together at her book launch, well attended, at Smiths.  First up a reading of how she was disappointed with a meeting of women in IT in Europe where the managerial types got the better of the IT matters.  I remember her walking out in another situation, so she has guts and determination and I'm surprised what an effective act of resistance or protest it can be.  It creates discussion; it gathers persons in agreement; it creates alternatives.  Then her band performed, all 12 songs that they have under their rehearsal belt, again outspoken and inviting with a huge dollop of joy.  They take infectious pop or punk songs and reword them for their women-in-IT concerns, but this is not offensive; rather it invites fellow-travellers and revels in its calls and humous.  IT Grrrls is 6-piece, essentially violin, tenor, two vocals, guitar, bass, drums, even a keytar, with members moving between instruments.  Carol also threw in two raps; not sure they were in the originals.  Think songs of the like of Bangles, Madonna, Kylie, Stefani, Winehouse, Lauper and you can imagine the joy of lyrics like Girls just wanna write code or rhymes to MS Teams.  Plenty of laughter amongst the dance and harmonies over a resolute back line.  Just goes to show that girls (of any age ... and boys) just wanna have fun.

Carol Wapshire (violin, rap, author) launched her book, How to be an IT Grrrl, and presented her band, IT Grrrls, at Smiths.

Doubles

Hilda is a regular at Wesley playing with an impressive offsider, variously vocal or instrumental.  This outing was with clarinetist Ollie Wong.  Ollie is a student at ANU, in classical clarinet and engineering.  Obviously a double degree.  ANU offers double degrees including music and it's a strength, but that's tangential.  They played a lovely outing, mostly Mozart, two movements of his Clarinet concerto Amaj K622 and his piano piece, Fantasia Dmin K397/386g, a late work finished after his death, and Gampieri Variations and capriccio on the theme Carnival of Venice.  Mozart is always delicate and melodically hugely inviting and this was no different.  The first movement was quick and expressive; the second slow and gloriously melodically inevitable.  The Gampieri sounded more French than Venetian to my ears but was fast and action packed with all manner of takes on a waltz so a proper workout.  A lovely concert and demanding workout for the players which was well played and very well received.

Hilda Visser Scott (piano) and Ollie Wong (clarinet) performed Mozart and Giampieri at Wesley. And thanks to Hilda for the lovely formal portrait of the event.

Prep

Time coming up for a busy weekend: the Canberra International Music Festival is here.  It's just a few days (5) but it's intense.  I am recording many out-of-snow concerts so busy also with preparation, planning and processing, so the work of extra days.  First touch was a short session at the Carillon to assist with audio balance for the Sunday performance of electric guitar and bells and samples for various tunes.   As is the way, I met others of musical interest, notably Chris Sainsbury, composer of one of the pieces and current head of the ANUSOM and a renowned international punk-folk bassist who now lives here in Canberra.  Capital cities are often fascinating hives.  As for the scene, it was glorious on the island with a setting sun if a bit noisy with background hum of surrounding highways.

Culture wave

The National Museum presented Hallyu! as the Korean wave of culture, from K-pop to Squid game and film and fashion and it was all those things but I was particularly taken by my lack of knowledge of Korean history for that's how the exhibition started.  I was visiting with a very international pair of guests with visits and lengthy explorations of South Korea and local Asia and it just exposed our common community unawareness of other places and peoples.  Not to the extent of mistaking Austria for Australia, as is joked of, but not too distant.  This was an exhibition from the V&A but not as extensive as that may suggest, and was essentially limited to this recent era of international cultural influence, but it was still both enjoyable and informative in those pop fields.  We've all heard the song Gangnam style and seen the sharp dance routines and wondered if BTS will succeed after military service and we've been horrified by the peninsular post-war if we've enjoyed our side of it.  There's much more to learn, but the costumes and styles were enjoyable and informative and sometimes less than they appear on film when seen up close (stage and film costumes can be thus).  It was a culture of youth that was presented and it was fun if mostly just that.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave was an exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum on display at the National Museum of Australia.

Let's dance

Just a room or so away was something very different and it started less than 20-minues after Ida finished.  Ida's theme was Introspections with composers into the C20th on a solo piano; Salut! Baroque's theme was dance and its instruments dating back into the baroque (obviously).  And, unusually, Salut! was accompanied by a ... dancer.  And this was not a solo performer but 11 players with that dancer making the dozen on instruments of the era, baroque all (flute, oboe, recorders, violins, viola, guitar, theorbo, bass violin) and percussion and the ever present harpsichord.  The tones were far more gentle that a Yamaha grand played with intensity, although there was intensity here too, sometimes.  Otherwise, bounce and motion and rhythms of dance, even if the rarefied, refined and inviting but discrete styles of the time.  The composers were variously known: Rebel, Graupner, Erlebach, Telemann, Purcell, Oswald, Lully, Roman and the prolific Anon and the tunes or movements were sometimes expressed as tempos but often as dance styles,  In fact, the Jean-Fery Rebel seemed to list them all: Prelude, Courante, Minuet, Bouree, Chaconne, Sarabande, Gigue, Riguadon, Passepied, Gavotte, Sonate, Loure, Musette, although I notice no waltz and I'm assuming they are all dance styles.  So lots of rhythmic pleasure and energy ending with Anon with a rousing Romani folk dance of great pleasure.  These were some lovely musical styles and also some excellent performances from several notable names of the Australian baroque scene.  Thus an fascinating and varied night at Wesley.  Much enjoyed.  And thanks to Aimee for her visual addition to the gig.

Salut! Baroque performed an introduction to the dance at Wesley.  Performers were Aimme Brown (baroque dance), Sally Melhuish and Alana Blackburn (recorders), Sally Walker (flute), Jane Downer (oboe), John Ma and Jared Adams (violins), Brad Tham (viola), Tim Blomfeld (bass violin), George Wills (guitar, theorbo), William Naayan (percussion) and Monika Kornel (harpsichord).

My local returns

It's not always that I return for a concert-and-recording rerun but I did for Ida, because we share background, we chatted amiably and she played such an interesting concert on the Wednesday.  I was not disappointed on Friday.  There were embassy reps but not nearly the audience she deserved.  The last was an investigation into  the "Spanish Scarlatti", M Blasco de Nebra.  This themed as Introspections so more modern, romantic, roiling and varying in tempo and presentation, but again masterly playing.  Pieces from Sibelius, Faure, Busoni (he reappeared), Janacek and Ravel.  All accompanied by informed introductions of backgrounds, purposes, histories and the like.  Faure was written as a sightreading test at the Paris Con; two had lost family, Busoni a father and Janacek a daughter.  There were masses, waterfalls of notes,  repetition and variations, with  and without grand gestures, order and arpeggiations, a tribute to Bach.  Personal and touching and emotionally charged.  Ida again played form memory, these complex and busy pieces.  Then finished with not one but two encores: the Scarlatti Tarantella from the Wednesday lunchtime concert and one by de Nebra, perhaps also from Wednesday.  So Ida is not just a performer but researcher and teacher.  Very worthy of the return gig.

Ida Pelliccioli (piano) performed  Sibelius, Faure, Busoni, Janacek and Ravel with encores from Scarlatti and de Nebra at Wesley.