| Strawberry Fields | Melbourne Chamber Orchestra |
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For its final concert of 2009, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra salutes the popular and much loved music of England. The concert’s title Strawberry Fields is drawn from the famous Beatles song penned by John Lennon ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ paving the way for a program by fellow English composers Sir Edward Elgar, Benjamin Britten and British born Australian composer Malcolm Fox.
Elgar’s ‘Serenade for Strings’ and Britten’s ‘Les Illuminations’ are two icons of 20th century English string works,’ says William Hennessy, Artistic Director, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
‘All three of these string works are, in their own ways, vehicles for the demonstration of what is most attractive in string playing ; warmth, richness, beauty of sound with vividness and subtlety of colour’ says Hennessy.
‘Les Illuminations’ by Benjamin Britten has the added attraction of a soprano soloist, and is in fact a showpiece for both soloist and orchestra. Jacqueline Porter is our most welcome returning guest,’ said Hennessy. She will also be one of the featured artists in the 2009 season when she will perform Calvin Bowman’s ‘I will sing a little while’ under the baton of Melbourne Chamber Orchestra’s patron the esteemed British conductor Sir Neville Marriner.
The inclusion of ‘Pathways of Ancient Dreaming’ honours the memory of Malcolm Fox whose untimely death at the age of 51 was described by fellow composer Tristram Carey as ‘a serious loss to both Australian and British music’. The work was commissioned by Arcata Kammerorchester in 1989 and was premiered at the Perth International Arts Festival in 1990. The ‘pathways’ referred to in the title are pathways of the imagination that connect us with our native soil.’ In his past role as leader of the Australian String Quartet and a member of the teaching faculty at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, William Hennessy worked closely with Fox as a composer and was inspired by his colleague’s unequivocal belief in the importance of fine music.
Composer Malcolm Fox (1946 - 1997) migrated to Australia in 1974 (at the age of 28 years) so the strong English influence in the programmed work ‘Pathways of Ancient Dreaming’ written in 1990 comes as no surprise.
Jacqueline Porter made her debut with Melbourne Chamber Orchestra in July 2007 when she performed to acclaim the premiere of Calvin Bowman's song cycle of time and seasons. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Italian) and a Bachelor of Music with Honours at the University of Melbourne. In 2005 she was placed 3rd in the Australian Youth Aria competition and was a Semi-Finalist in the Herald Sun Aria competition. Also in 2005 she made her professional debut with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Bach's Cantata BWV 207, with Orchestra Victoria as a soloist for their Community Program regional tour and with Melbourne Chorale in performances of Mozart's Coronation Mass, Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Haydn's Maria Theresa Mass.
Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army children’s home in Wooton, a suburb of Liverpool, England. Lennon grew up near the home. One of his childhood treats was the garden party that took place each summer in the grounds of Strawberry Field. Lennon’s Aunt Mimi recalled ‘ As soon as we could hear the Salvation Army band starting John would jump up and down shouting Mimi come on We’re going to be late.’ It is the place that inspired Lennon to be a musician.
Strawberry Fields, the final concert of the year for Melbourne Chamber Orchestra – and the final concert at BMW Edge before taking up its new residency at the new Melbourne Recital Centre will be a nostalgic event. The evocation of the pastoral landscapes with the emotional hues of England will reflect on the years of music making in the glass atrium on the banks of the Yarra.
The concert will be conducted by Jeffrey Crellin.
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Strawberry Fields
Conductor : Jeffrey Crellin
Soloist: Jacqueline Porter, soprano
Haydn, Symphony No. 70
Elgar, Serenade for Strings
Fox, Pathways of Ancient Dreaming ( 1990)
Britten, Les Illuminations
BMW EDGE-Federation Square
Sunday 26 October at 2.30 pm, Monday 27 October at 7.00 pm
Tickets: Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (03) 9650 3365 /
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Ticketmaster 136 100
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