Presented by Adelaide Youth Orchestras
Reviewed 19 Nov 2017
If the talent displayed on stage at the Adelaide Town Hall last Sunday is anything to go by, the future of music is safe. It was delightful to witness the enthusiasm and commitment shown by these young players and a delight to listen to.
First up was the Adelaide Youth Wind Orchestra, conducted by Al Kidney, with piece by Shostakovich, a rousing start. They followed with a couple of lighter pieces, both with familiar tunes by more recent composers. But in the Christmas spirit they finished on Minor Alterations Christmas through the Looking Glass by David Lovrien which encompassed every Christmas song you could think of blended together and given a fresh look. The musicians seemed to really enjoy this piece, as did the audience.
Then the Adelaide Youth Sinfonia took the stage with their conductor, Minas Berberyan, to bring us more Shostakovich, this time a Waltz, followed by Elfman’s 1989 Batman Theme and Danse Bacchanale from Sampson and Deliah, Op.47 , Camile Saint-Saens, both executed beautifully.
After interval we found the Adelaide Youth Strings had prepared and excellent varied program. Beginning with Fiddle Fest by James E Clement, it was mesmerising to watch the many bows moving so quickly in unison, producing a lively tune which conjured dancers in the imagination. The did more than justice to Vivaldi’s Summer, then moved to more modern pieces with Final Quest (Daniel Chisham) and Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman), the later seeming to invoke Bollywood! Their final offering was The Final Countdown (Joey Tempest), a fine piece to end on.
Last on the bill was Adelaide Youth Orchestra led by conductor Keith Crellin OAM. They led with Tales from the Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II with the players so in tune with the conductor that it seemed they hung on every move. This lovely waltz had me expecting to see the dancers swirling across the stage. And what better way to end this wonderful afternoon of music, but with an introduction to Christmas by way of A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson. A fantastic wander through all of the favourite Christmas tunes, with all the expected pomp and a serve of Joy to the World. So much talent and so young!
Reviewed by Fran Edwards
Twitter: @franeds
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