The first solo organ recital at this year’s Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival lived up to its title “Grand Choeur”, with organist Martin Setchell performing an expansive program which demonstrated the exciting possibilities of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral organ.
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From his informative introduction to the concluding Toccata of Jules Grison, Setchell gave an outstanding performance. In a programme stretching from Bach’s Prelude in Eb BWV 552 to an arrangement of Elgar’s 4th Pomp and Circumstance March the tonal colours of the instrument were fully explored in a manner that flowed purposefully and naturally.
At Mary’s Mount, soprano Olivia Cranwell, tenor Carlos E Barcenas and baritone Stephen Marsh presented a programme of Heroes, Heroines and Villains, an excursion into some of the more popular operatic arias. Repetiteur Phoebe Briggs added the piano as the fourth member on stage. The calibre of the singing was matched by the commitment as each aria from Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Bizet became a gem without the need for further narrative.
Christopher Trikilis delivered an exciting organ concert at St.John’s, Creswick, on the historic, much-loved instrument formerly in the Barkly St. Uniting Church. With a secure technique Trikilis performed a largely virtuosic programme which included Mendelssohn’s 6th Sonata, the Vivaldi-Bach Concerto in Am and the popular Toccata of Dubois.
Pianist Elyane Laussade and ‘cellist Luke Severn, at the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts, played two important 20th century ‘cello sonatas, Samuel Barber’s C minor and Dimitry Shostakovich’s D minor Opus 40. The contrasts within each work were perfectly prepared, with deep, rich lyricism a feature of the ‘cello. The ensemble playing remained seamless within the dramatic rapid passages, particularly in Shostakovich’s roller coaster final movement.
As if this often haunting, sometimes bleak music needed a panacea, the duo wound up the satisfying afternoon with a beautiful rendition of Franz Schubert’s Serenade by way of encore.