Plans for celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Sinfonia has been dampened by the horrendous fires and the news that one of their members, Patrick Guest, has lost his home and his beloved double bass.
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While the orchestra is working on a plan of how to best support Patrick, a decision has been made that $5 from every ticket sold for its upcoming concert on November 24 at the Manning Entertainment Centre will go to local Rural Fire Services to thank them for the work during this awful time.
A donations box will also be set up at the MEC for the RFS and the orchestra hopes the community will come out and support them, commiserate with Patrick, and generally mourn the losses the community has suffered and to donate to those heroes who have worked so hard to save us all.
The 20th anniversary celebration will be held at 2pm on Sunday November 24 with many local alumni attending and featuring three scholarship winners as soloists, Abi French, Jara Stinson and Lindsay Kaul.
All of the orchestra's returning members will be playing in one or another piece and all of the past Quaver Donors have been invited as well as staunch Friends of Sinfonia to attend to hear these players perform once more.
The program ranges from the exotic through the sublime - from romantic but ill-fated lovers in China to colonial South America where an achingly beautiful solo tells of spiritual love, turning back to the wilder rhythms and definitely earthly delights of the Caribbean and up through the very laid back US, transported back to ancient Egypt and the joy of freedom and up through Italy (with much Spanish entusiasmo) to more tales of blood and lust, with a side trip off to Hungary for a wild dance.
The show also features original compositions by two Australians (it is a particular aim to promote Australian music) and we will be supported by long time choral collaborators, Company of Voices and Kantabile Chamber Choir.
Sinfonia has provided 20 years of orchestral music making by local players, teachers, students, and fellow community music groups, supported by an executive board, patrons, the Friends of Sinfonia, the donors to the Quaver Scholarship Fund, with business help from Stacks Finance, Valley Industries Inc and Nash Solutions, the various local Rotary, Lions and Quota groups and of course, its audience. Support is also given by MidCoast Council.
As well as the RFS, the orchestra will also donate $5 for each ticket sold to Buy Another Bale of Hay. This drought is everybody's concern and we must support our farmers.
The orchestra plans to use the balance of our profits for a very special Twentieth Anniversary Scholarship. As with all the scholarships, this will be open to young local musicians, under 25, currently studying locally and able to perform with our Orchestra for the following 12 months.
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