Arts

Music Review: Adelaide Youth Orchestra Gala Concert 2014 – Youth Revolution

Bringing together a superb collection of young and talented classical musicians, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra Gala Concert was indeed a Youth Revolution, which lacked nothing in terms of its expected high standard. Performed over four individual sections, the Concert was a magnificent experience and a wonderful showcase of Adelaide’s finest young classical musicians

Pic: David Can

Pic: David Cann

Bringing together a superb collection of young and talented classical musicians, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra Gala Concert was indeed a Youth Revolution, which lacked nothing in terms of its expected high standard. Performed over four individual sections, the Concert was a magnificent experience and a wonderful showcase of Adelaide’s finest young classical musicians.

Under the baton of Bryan Griffiths, the Adelaide Youth Wind Orchestra opened with Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Overture To Candide’, a fun combination of energy and noise and then followed on with the more somber ‘Postlude in F Major’ by Charles Ives. A heavy wind orchestra of forty young musicians competently substituted the typical organ in this composition and worked together beautifully to evoke the right feeling that the piece commands. The final part of this section was Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘English Folk Song Suite’, with ‘Seventeen Come Sunday’ starting off as a jubilant march followed by the melodic poetry of Intermezzo ‘ My Bonny Boy’ before finally marching us home jubilantly with ‘Folk Songs From Somerset’.

A quick changeover of personnel saw Martin Butler conducting the Adelaide Youth Strings, by far the cutest array of musicians to grace a stage. The age range in this group is 9-13, with some of the instruments being bigger than the little mites playing them. This didn’t hinder them from performing a superb set of contemporary songs though, which were: ‘The Final Countdown‘ (Europe), ‘River Flows In You’ (Yiruma), ‘Rolling In The Deep’ (Adele), ‘Theme From Shaft‘ (Isaac Hayes), and ‘I’m Shipping Up To Boston‘ (Dropkick Murphys) All renditions were remarkably faithful to the originals although ‘Rolling In The Deep’ didn’t have quite the same energy in this orchestral conversion. Nonetheless, these young performers were a delight, especially 11 year old Ethan Hurn on drums, who showed great promise and confidence under the spotlight.

A brief interval, and Adelaide Youth Sinfonia took the stage with Peter Handsworth Conducting Aaron Copland’s ‘An Outdoor Overture’ followed by Georges Bizet’s four-part ‘Suite No 1 from L’Arlesienne’ (Allegro deciso, Minuetto, Adagietto and Carillon). This part of the concert skipped along nicely, and was a perfect soundtrack for a delightful spring day- a lyrical melody of light and shade, heavy and soft, a dreamy moment of floating slowly on water then building up to a turbulent crescendo finish.

Finally, Keith Crellin OAM along with  the magnificent and praiseworthy Adelaide Youth Orchestra presented the Pièce de résistance- Antonin Dvorak’s ‘Symphony No 9 From The New World.’ ‘Largo‘ is tender, serene and peaceful with its magical chord progression faithfully replicated by the dedication and focus of the AdYO. It shifts from serenity to an eruption of sound, and then back to its peaceful beginning in a contrast that evokes the inner spirit.

‘Allegro con fuoco’ (fast, with fire!) finishes the piece with a stormy, tempestuous finale that takes the listener into the heart of the fire and, finally, after a long journey, back to safety and security.

It is difficult not to be impressed by the commitment and level of excellence in each of these young artists, and to the exceptional teachers, mentors, tutors and conductors that devote so much time into perfecting and honing each and every note. Each of the elements of this Gala Concert was presented with integrity and dedication. The hours that these young performers put into their art is evident, we should salute each of them and look forward to these bright, gifted young ones setting the future standards in classical music. Bravo!

The next concert scheduled is Adelaide Youth Orchestra’s Maestro Series 3 Northern Lights Concert.                    

Sunday 21 September, 2014, 6.30pm-8.30pm¹- Elder Hall, The University of Adelaide, North Tce, Adelaide

*Tickets

Adult $25, Concession & Seniors Card $20,

Student & Children (up to 18) $10

Group (8+) $23 per person

Family (2 Adults & 2 Children) $60

Book at BASS (131 246) or www.bass.net.au

*ticket prices do not include BASS credit charge & transaction fees

¹with one x 20 minute interval

Adelaide Youth Orchestra’s Maestro Series 3 Northern Lights Concert features:

John Polglase: Lux Nova: A Concert Overture for Orchestra

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 2

Sibelius: Symphony No 2

Adelaide Youth Orchestra

Keith Crellin OAM, Conductor

Mekhla Kumar, Piano

 

Reviewed by Darren Hassan

 

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