"On Wings of Song" is a poem by the German Romantic poet Heinrich Heine, published in "Buch der Lieder" in 1827. However, the words are more widely known, and used, because the composer Felix Mendelssohn set the poem to music as the second of his "Six songs for voice and piano" in 1834.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Our beautiful home of Ballarat can fairly be described as a city which has travelled through its vibrant life "on wings of song".
Singing, in all its genres, has been a vital, and inclusive, part of life in this city, since its very foundation, and it is no exaggeration to say that Ballarat has produced some of the finest voices enjoyed by lovers of fine music not just in Ballarat, but throughout Australia, and around the world.
While it is perhaps not known by many people in Ballarat, apart from committed opera-lovers, the superb operatic soprano Marie Collier was born in Ballarat. Having trained in Milan, where she was auditioned by no less an authority than Lord Harewood, Marie was offered a contract at the Covent Garden Opera Company, which became her artistic home, although she frequently sang in Australia, notably with Donald Smith. Marie Collier's most famous career moment came in 1965, when Maria Callas cancelled three of her four appearances as Tosca, and Marie stepped into the role, to massive audience, and critical, acclaim. Sadly, Marie was killed in accident, at the young age of 44.
Better known to music-lovers in Ballarat, and throughout Australia, are the voices of many who the late John Cargher, ABCs doyen of classical music broadcasting, would have described as "Singers of Renown"!
The golden voices of Robert Lemke, Maxine Montgomery, David Hobson and Roger Lemke are just a few who come immediately to mind. Elite performers who have graced the stages of the leading Australian opera companies, but frequently returned to entertain their "home" audiences.
No doubt Royal South Street has been an enduring inspiration to our aspiring singers, and our superb choirs, such as Ballarat Choral Society, and Vox, and theatre companies such as Ballarat Lyric Theatre, and BLOC Music Theatre, have provided exemplary opportunities for gifted singers to perform.
On Sunday, Janet McCulloch's Gallery Women's Association, the "gift which keeps on giving" to Ballarat's music-lovers, hosted an afternoon of Operetta, presented by the superbly resourced and talented music company "Enduring Classics".
Beginning with Carolyn Bennett and the ensemble presenting The French Military Marching Song, from Sigmund Romberg's The Desert Song, Carolyn, Robyn Antoine, Jessica Carrascalao-Heard, Bethany Wright, Lyndon Green and Vincent Sully took us on an enchanting journey through the music of Franz Lehar, Ivor Novello, Mozart, Massenet, Bizet, Dvorak and other great composers.
Along the way we were treated to one of those great, un-rehearsed moments which make special concerts even more special. Gwen Kennelly, piano, and Nicci Dellar, violin, who accompanied the singers with their customary, awe-inspiring musicianship, gifted us with an instrumental bon bon between songs: Meditation, from Massenet's opera Thais. Meditation is an interlude in the opera where Thais, a courtesan, is reflecting upon changing the direction of her life, and converting to Christianity. In the last few bars of the composition, following a musical crescendo, involving a very high note on the violin, there is a pause, as Thais, having taken her decision, momentarily reflects, before deciding, "yes, I will do it". On Sunday, a large section of the audience, probably emotionally transfixed by the beauty of the performance, commenced to applaud early, at this penultimate moment. Nicci, unfazed, held her bow in place, gave a knowing, reciprocated smile of understanding to Gwen, paused until the miscreants "twigged", and then completed the performance, before giving the audience another beautiful smile, wordlessly suggesting, "OK, that's it, now you can"!!!!!!
The concert concluded with the ensemble presenting "You Raise Me Up". After a tough few months for Australia, and the world beyond, that was just so appropriate, and "Enduring Classics" had, indeed, brought sunshine, and hope, into the lives of all of us who were privileged to attend on Sunday.
After the Concert, the person sitting next to me asked "who was your favourite?". In that instant, I would have struggled to nominate one single performer, from such a line-up of beautiful voices, and it would have been grossly unfair of me to do so. But, upon reflection, my favourite, because of what she represented, was Bethany Wright, a 15 years-old youngster,
surely, I would think, singing in one of her earliest concerts in elite performing company. With a lovely voice, and such a
high-achieving group of singers around her, Bethany will no doubt play an important role in the future of "the voice" in
Ballarat, and the world beyond. Bethany, the music-lovers of Ballarat are behind you....
Long may Ballarat travel "on wings of song".
Mike Brettargh
3/207 Errard Street South,
Ballarat Central, 3350
Mobile 0400 676 383
Mike Brettargh, Ballarat