Sinfonia Mid North Coast (MNC) is giving a series of concerts titled ‘Our Orchestra’s Offerings'.
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The venues are Gloucester Primary School Hall on June 18 at 2pm, St Albans, Forster on June 25 at 2pm and the Chapel, Harrington on June 24 at 2pm.
Sinfonia MNC aims to bring programs which cover the spectrum of live acoustic music from classical to modern orchestral and beyond to local audiences.
This year is no exception, but it does vary a little from usual procedure in that, as the title indicates, what will be played are the orchestra’s “favourites”.
So, what are some of the favourites? What can the audience anticipate hearing?
The principal piece will be the Clarinet Concerto No1 in F Minor by Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber wrote this piece in 1811 for his friend, the clarinettist Heinrich Bärmann.
This will be the showpiece for the 2016 James Hannah-Sinfonia MNC Scholarship winner, Miguel Guthridge.
Every year Sinfonia MNC awards scholarships to local musicians aged under 25 to further their music studies and to give them the opportunity to play with the orchestra.
Miguel’s brother Patrick, together with Will Jackson, were the recipients of Sinfonia MNC’s 2016 Quaver Scholarships and they too can be heard playing in the June concerts.
That’s one end of the musical spectrum.
Another orchestra favourite is Under Pressure, written in 1981 by Freddie Mercury (and the other members of Queen) in collaboration with David Bowie.
But is this so very different from von Weber’s work?
Freddie Mercury and David Bowie were both classically trained musicians before they became world Pop Icons.
Both constantly used symphonic backings for their greatest hits. They would feel right at home with Carl Maria von Weber.
Another boy they would all feel right at home with is Franz Schubert. The orchestra will play Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony No 8 (B Minor), written in 1822 when he was 25, six years before he, like Freddie, died tragically young.
The orchestra has also chosen to play music by James Barry from the film Dances with Wolves He also concentrates on lush strings and extensive use of brass. Although fiction, the film loosely illustrates the tragic fate of the Sioux Indians.
What about some joy and triumph? Women? Well Delibe and Mozart feature so there’s plenty of joy.
There will be excerpts from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s score for The Sound of Music celebrating the life of a heroic woman, aided by other heroic women, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
And on this theme the orchestra will also play excerpts from Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
For more information go to Sinfonia MNC’s webpage www.sinfoniamnc.com.au or call Kerrie McKenzie on 0418 975 673.