Luminescence shines at Wesley

“Magnificat”

Luminescence Chamber Choir conducted by Roland Peelman

in association with the 

Canberra International Music Festival

Wesley Uniting Church, December 18.

Reviewed by Tony Magee

My first piano teacher, Wilfrid Holland, introduced me to his two cats, Magnificat and Oedipus when I was nine years old. 

I had an inkling that Magnificat must have been special, but it was some years later before I discovered the magnificence of musical settings bearing that name.

Conductor Roland Peelman - held choir in tight command. Photo: Peter Hislop

Singing Renaissance settings of the Magnificat, the Ave Maria and the Motet form, Luminescence swept the audience through the sublime and tender, delivering music so beautiful and uplifting, in glorious pitch-perfect polyphony.

6.30pm, show time, and the heavens opened with torrential rain, hail and thunder. The sound was deafening on the roof of Wesley. We patently waited 15 minutes.

Beginning with a short “Ave Maria” by Jean Mouton (c1459-1522), the singers enveloped the audience with exquisite sound in a mellifluous opening.

Robert Fayrfax (1464-1521) composed “Magnificat ‘O Bone Jesu’” in 1500. The choir performed his intricate polyphonic setting beautifully, the piece showcasing the combination of older style bare fifths cadence points contrasted with the modern, for the time, addition of thirds and sixths in the harmony.

The grand master of Renaissance choral composition, Joaquin Desprez (1450-1521) had a reputation for being difficult to get along with, erratic on delivery and very expensive when commissioned. Patrons of the day however turned to him when perfection was required.

His “Ave Maria, Virgo Serena” followed by the Motet “Illibata Dei Virgo Nutrix” displayed a towering compositional style, the choir capturing the essence of his lavish and sumptuous harmonies with authority and grace.

The final two pieces were delayed once more by another massive storm, this time with high winds driving the rain sideways through the ventilation shafts of the church and onto the audience seated on the right hand pews. A quick evacuation saw them re-seated to the left.

The “Ave Maria” setting by Robert Parsons (1535-1572) was composed around 1570. In this, the singers captured the delicacy of the piece wonderfully, with stylish delivery of harmony and counterpoint.

Luminescence Chamber Choir at Wesley. Photo: Peter Hislop

To close, a “Magnificat” from another master of the period, Michael Praetorius (1571-1621). This large and complex work was composed in 1611 and the choir performed the intricate polyphony in a commanding and elevated manner. 

The piece moves from quarter time to triple time in a number of places, the choir making the tempo and time changes with precision. In the finale, conductor and CIMF artistic director Roland Peelman extracted a magnificent crescendo from the performers which was exhilarating.

Throughout the concert, Peelman held the choir in tight command, his knowledge and commanding familiarity of the music being a key part of the success of this wonderful Christmas event. 

Peelman himself almost didn’t make it. His flight from Belgium arriving only days before was thought to have contained an Omicron-infected passenger and he was ordered to quarantine for two weeks. Only yesterday was he informed this was a mistake and he was cleared to conduct.

At the conclusion of this wonderful concert showcasing music dedicated to the glory of God, there was a general air of “we actually made it” from the performers, the audience and this reviewer. 

One was left feeling the weight of that old adage, God Works in Mysterious Ways.

First published in Canberra City News online edition, December 19, 2021

Also published at Canberra Critics Circle, December 24, 2021

Jaguar triumphs at Terribly British Day!

by Tony Magee

QUEANBEYAN Park was the venue for the British Motor Show on Sunday December 5. An excellent choice, the park offers great tree coverage and lovely grassy areas.

Hosted by the Triumph Car Club of the ACT in association with the Council of ACT Motor Clubs and dubbed the “Terribly British Day”, the event saw hundreds of people gather to view the many British marques on display.

E-type Jaguars on display at the Terribly British Day, Queanbeyan Park. Photo: Bob Sawyer

Included in the lineup were models from MG, Morris, Austin Healey, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Triumph, Rover, Rochdale, Lotus, Jaguar and of course the iconic Mini. Several 1275 Coopers were included in the Mini display. Readers may remember those with fondness, the model being the featured get-away vehicles in the 1969 movie The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type, many owners lined up an impressive array of cars, all in beautiful restored condition. Judges deemed the Jaguar display top of the billing.

The E-type was first released in 1961 and production ran through to 1975.

With a top speed of 241 km/h and zero to 100 km/h acceleration in just under 7 seconds, its combination of beauty, high performance, and competitive pricing established the model as an icon of the motoring world.

Upon release, Enzo Ferrari is claimed to have called it “the most beautiful car ever made”.

Guests of honour, retiring Mayor of Queanbeyan-Palerang Cr Tim Overall and his wife Nichole Overall were chauffeured to the event in style using two E-type Jaguars.

Austin 7 Woody, "Splinter". Photo: Cheryl Olley

Several vintage vehicles were also on display, including a 1929 Austin 7 Woody, named Splinter! Restored and built by Gordon and Marilyn Love, it is now owned by Bob and Carolyn Hogan.

For racing enthusiasts, a 1968 Chevron B15B AM08 made an appearance, the car having been driven to many victories in the USA and Europe by Niki Lauda.

Proceeds from the event were donated  to Respite Care for Queanbeyan.

Warm welcome for youth orchestra's debut

“An Evening of Fairytales”

ACT Youth Orchestra with the Dance Development Centre

National Portrait Gallery

December 8, 2021

Reviewed by Tony Magee

Almost 200 guests crowded the foyer of the National Portrait Gallery to witness and enjoy the premiere performance of Canberra’s newest youth music ensemble, ACT Youth Orchestra, conducted by Rowan Harvey Martin.

Dancers from Dance Development Centre with members of the ACT Youth Orchestra 
in a sequence from Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty"

They were joined later in the program by Dance Development Centre, artistic director and choreographer Jackie Hallahan.

Orchestra Patron Lieutenant Colonel Ian McLean (ret.) AM, CSC welcomed guests and introduced His Excellency Dr Alexey V. Pavlovsky, Ambassador of the Russian Federation, who spoke with enthusiasm about the formation of a new youth orchestra in Canberra. 

Ambassador Pavlovsky mentioned that it was Tchaikovsky who championed raising music to an equal artistic status as the Bolshoi Ballet, saying that “music of the great composers inspires generation after generation of young players to take up orchestral instruments and share a love of music”, adding “Fairy Tales are the most charming of European cultural traditions”.

Formed at the beginning of November this year, the players managed to prepare an ambitious launch program in just five weeks.

Opening with the overture to Humperdinck’s opera Hänsel and Gretel, the orchestra bounced into life, the players all showing great enthusiasm and dedication as they showcased their accomplishments.

Prokofiev’s ballet setting of Cinderella premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in November 1945 and is noted for its jubilant music.

Four movements were performed, the third being a beautiful waltz which morphed into “Midnight”, in quarter time, complete with harp glissandos, wood block ticking away as the hour approaches, timpani and piccolo plus the entire ensemble, creating a dramatic buildup to “pumpkin hour”!

Excerpts from “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky saw artists from Canberra Dance Centre join the orchestra for a thrilling finale.

The young dancers were costumed beautifully and performed with style and precision, sweeping through ballet sequences with grace and beauty.

Of note also were the excellent pizzicato passages from cellos and violas, a solid foundation from the contra-bass and well played contributions from the percussion section.

The opportunity to dance with a live orchestra and also for an orchestra to accompany ballet dancers was cherished by all and it was obvious that the union of these two ensembles was a great success and also something extremely special.

In conclusion, I should like to mention that throughout the concert, there were some  tuning and intonation issues within various sections of the orchestra which need to be addressed. In addition, rhythmic accuracy was compromised in places.

These blemishes aside, conductor Rowan Harvey Martin managed to rescue those situations admirably. It is also a credit to the players, that when they were in difficulty, they knew they had a formidable maestro to help them out and continue on successfully.

It is within the pressure of a live performance, with an audience, that real learning can take place.

Administratively, the absence of a program was disappointing. Not only does it make life difficult for the reviewer, but the enjoyment of a concert for the audience is also hindered badly. In addition, a program would have made a great and long lasting memento for such an auspicious occasion.

ACT Youth Orchestra has great potential and this launch concert is to be treasured as a great opening to a great future. It is to be hoped that this will be realised during their exciting and ambitious 2022 program.

An uplifting and joyous end to the year.

Also published in City News, December 9, 2021

The best of Betty goes under the hammer

Maquette "Bonds of Friendship"

by Meredith Hinchliffe and Tony Magee

WHEN Betty Beaver died in October last year, aged 96, “CityNews” craft writer, Meredith Hinchliffe, described her as “a Canberra arts and music champion”.

Already a trained musician, Betty and her husband Ron Beaver arrived in Canberra during the 1960s, where she taught piano and studied ceramics and design, while helping to found the establishment of the Craft Association of the ACT.

Gallery initiatives began when with daughter Karen, she opened Narek Gallery in Narrabundah, then in the 1970s, Beaver Galleries in Red Hill, which later moved to the purpose-designed gallery complex in Deakin which became a local legend.

Meantime Betty’s musical life continued through the Canberra Recorder and Early Music Society Baroque Ensemble and the Canberra International Music Festival, for whom she commissioned a work from Elena Kats-Chernin titled “Beaver Blaze”, a continuing tradition at the festival.

Hundreds of unique and collectable art pieces from the estate of Betty Beaver went under the hammer last week, December 1, in a massive online auction hosted by AllBids Canberra.

“CityNews” music writer Tony Magee was there to observe…

Potential buyers were able to bid on paintings, etchings, wood carvings, glasswork, ceramics, stoneware, furniture, sculptures, textiles and mixed media.

Among the paintings were “Interior with Platonic Solids”, an oil on canvas by Brian Dunlop and  “Pigeon House Mountain”, an etching and aquatint by Pamela Griffith,  “Thirroul” by Garry Shead, “Relic VI” by John Winch, “We’ll Never Sell” by Leon Pericles. Other artists represented included Dianne Fogwell, Lorna Nimmo, Raymond Leroy, Inga Hunter, John Borrack, Chris J Denton, David Rose, and Jamie Boyd.

Pieces from the collection “Exhibition of Tasmanian Furniture” at Beaver Galleries included a bespoke Tasmanian blackwood and brass armchair. Two sculptural pièces de résistance came in the form of a 48cm bronze torso by Phillip Piperides and a bird steel sculpture by Michael Murphy.

Betty Beaver was a passionate collector of glasswork and many of the beautiful objects sold included a black glass vessel by Mel Douglas and a kiln-formed glass sculpture by Judi Elliott.

Other glasswork included pieces by Peter Docherty, Tom Rowney, Peter Crisp, Knell Engman, Chris Pantano, Maureen Williams, Benjamin Edols & Kathy Elliot, Oiva Toikka, Julio Santos, Colin Heaney and Stanislav Melis.

One of the most interesting pieces was the bronze sculpture, “Bonds of Friendship”, 1980, by John Robinson. The piece being auctioned was the maquette, but there are two much larger outdoor versions in the world by the same artist, one in Portsmouth, UK, and its twin in Sydney.

On pick-up from the O’Malley home, proud new owners were seen meeting and conversing about what they’d added to their collections. A common theme amongst buyers was the joy and honour they felt by now owning a piece from the Betty Beaver Collection.

First published in City News, December 7, 2021

With a wink and a nod, Sally maintains the mystery!

The Strawberry Thief for piano trio 

by Sally Greenaway

Live Music Stream

December 3, 2021

Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Canberra’s Sally Greenaway has revealed, cleverly in reverse order, the final instalment, which is actually the first, of her composition “The Strawberry Thief”.

From left: David Shaw, Edward Neeman and Samuel Payne. Live stream from the Larry Sitsky Recital Room, ANU School of Music.
Video still from camera work by Luke Patterson. Bird animation by Geraldine Martin

The piece opens with sixths and a tonic foundation in C major from the cello, which I interpreted as a cheeky and fleeting nod to Sebastian Bach, followed by tentatively fluttering flute murmurs and gentle piano whispers.

Later, there is also a “wink at you” composer’s nod to Ross Edwards!

This cautious prelude offers a glimpse into the secretive world of the strawberry thief as it begins planning the morning’s activities.

Flute melody floats above, accompanied by rippling piano alternating between major and minor in an effective and supportive accompaniment. Tremolo from the cello morphs into arpeggiated lines, splashed with counterpoint against the flute.

Hearing the trilogy together as a suite in three parts, I began to wonder who or what is said thief? I don’t think foxes like strawberries. Perhaps some of the birds from The Secret Garden? No, there is another mystery being hinted at in the opening piece. Listeners will have to decide who they think that could be.

Edward Neeman on piano, Samuel Payne on cello and David Shaw on flute all played superbly, evocatively bringing to life the essence of the music. In addition, excellent camera work by Luke Patterson and wonderful animations by Geraldine Martin, Matthew Koh and Marisa Martin added immeasurably to the listening experience.

Sound quality for this production was also first rate, engineered by Duncan Lowe and Kimmo Vennonen.

I’ll leave the final words to Scottish composer Greg Harradine, who taking full advantage of the streaming technology, listening live from Edinburgh, aptly commented during the performance, “The Secret Garden is full of understated beauty, a subtle blooming of quiet radiance.”

“The Strawberry Thief Suite” is available on Greenaway’s forthcoming CD, “Delights and Dances” or for purchase via unlimited streaming from sallygreenaway.bandcamp.com

First published in Canberra City News, December 4, 2021