The second weekend of the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival brought to a close one of the strongest events in its twenty-two year history. The program at St. Alipius Church, presented by Brighid Mantelli (flute) and Frank De Rosso (organ), lived up to its title “Sound Kaleidoscope”. The dozen or so pieces were intriguing for variety and rarity, many of them from the twentieth century. The excellent tone quality of the flute was well-supported by the organ.
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At Her majesty’s Theatre Tony Fenelon demonstrated his great musicianship and consummate entertainment skills on the theatre organ. His enjoyment at the instrument was experienced by the audience in a recital of aural and visual colours.
Also at Her Majesty’s Theatre, with the launch of the Fire Chamber Orchestra, three outstanding concerto performances made up a well-structured program. Conductor and soloist Mark Shiell put all his personality into Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto RV 428, Hoang Pham showed why he is a rising star at the piano in Chopin’s Em concerto, and Italian guitarist Massimo Scattolin delivered a passionate yet sublime performance of Rodrigo’s “Concierto di Aranjuez”.
At the mining Exchange clarinet quintet the Omega Ensemble contrasted Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with Ian Munro’s “Songs of the Bush”, in a performance of great refinement and balance.
The second movement of the Munro composition was mesmerising while the hushed ending was perfectly executed.
For the final concert, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Stephen Grant gathered some of the best early music instrumentalists and singers In a program of sacred music, mostly by Heinrich Schutz.
The vocal and instrumental textures were blended and balanced exceptionally well, creating a powerfully emotional delivery.
Bookending this event with a major choral program at St. Patrick’s Cathedral is just one of the many features of this unique festival and I wait with much anticipation for 2018.
