This page has detailed program notes for the concert being performed on Saturday 7.00pm 1st March in the Ian Woolf Auditorium, Carey Baptist Grammar School, 349 Barkers Road, Kew. To view the venue location click here.
To book tickets through TryBooking click here. Please note that only cash at the door (no credit or digital payments are possible).
To download a hi-resolution poster click here
To download a digital copy of the print program click here
Ralph Vaughan Williams “Sea Songs”
The work is being conducted by our guest conductor Alison Hocking.
Written in 1923 for the following year’s Wembley Exhibition, Sea Songs is a march medley of three well-known sea shanties: Princess Royal, Admiral Benbow, and Portsmouth. Written in typical march form with a trio, it was published simultaneously for brass band and wind band, and was later transcribed by the composer for symphony orchestra. It should be noted that Sea Songs was originally intended to be the final movement of Vaughan Williams’s Folk Song Suite. Program Note by Nikk Pilato, Wind Repertory Project
Percy Grainger “Two Grainger Episodes”
This is made up of folk song settings by Percy Grainger of “The Merry King” and “There Was A Pig Went Out To Dig”.
The music of Percy Grainger is beloved by band musicians worldwide, and “Two Grainger Episodes” presents a pair of Grainger works that showcases his unique style and innovative flair for the concert band. Excerpted from his famous “British Folk-Music Settings” we hear “The Merry King” and “There was a Pig Went Out to Dig,” masterfully scored by Christopher Greco, in the inimitable Grainger style. An excellent concert or festival choice for advanced bands! C.L. Barnhouse Music
François Borne “Carmen Fantasy Brilliante”
The guest soloist is Terence Teow. For more information about Terence click here.
Carmen Fantasy (1918). After a short introduction, suggesting the doom that is sure to follow, the flute enters, and quickly introduces what sounds like an improvisation not heard in the opera. It suggests the fluttering of a bird (Carmen sings that “love is like a bird that flies when you try to catch it”). Shortly after this, there is the menacing “Fate Motive,” which is repeated throughout the opera as an omen of death.
The famous Habanera is played straight, without the impromptu quality of the previous section, but in the repeat, the flute plays variations on the theme over a traditional orchestral background. After this comes Les Dragons d’Alcala, a military number which was an Entr’acte in the opera; that is, an unsung interlude between acts. Then, while the orchestra plays the Song of the Toréadors, the flute improvises rapidly, and the work comes to a rousing close. Program Note from Illinois State University Symphonic Winds concert program, 23 March 2016
The flute research book by Frans Vester dates this composition as 1880. Program Note from Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music
Cathy Likhuta “Me Disagrees”
The conductor of this work is Shane Walterfang, the GWS Associate Conductor. For more information about Shane click here.
“Why Me Disagrees? My intention was to write a piece that would depict an argument that is not overly aggressive. Instead, it is to be playfully competitive, even somewhat humorous at times. “I disagree” is a strong statement, which wouldn’t reflect the lighthearted spirit of the original idea. So I decided to make it sound like something a naughty child might say to defy authority: ‘Me disagrees! End of story.'”
– Program Note by composer
For more information about “Me Disagrees” click here.
Phillip Houghton “Kinkachoo I Love You”
This solo work for amplified acoustic guitar by Australian composer Phillip Houghton and performed by guest artist Ncholas Costanzo. …the Kinkachoo, a mythical bird, once wounded in the Spirit-Realm, heals and flies into the world …” this is the words from the composer on the score. This lyrical and poetic work required the 6th string tune to F added the mystical ambience to the piece.
The guest guitarist is Nicholas Costanzo. For more information click here.
Charles Gounod “Avant de quitter ces lieux” from the Opera Faust
Stephen Coutts, our guest operatic tenor vocalist, will perform accompanied by Stuart Newstead on pianoforte. Stuart is a life member of the wind symphony.
The song will be sung in English. To see a translation of the original French lyrics, click here.
George Bizet arr. Haeck “Votre toast…je peux vous le rendre -Toreador Song” from the Opera Carmen
Stephen Coutts, our guest operatic tenor vocalist will perform “Votre Toast” accompanied by The Grainger Wind Symphony. For more information about Stephen click here.
For a translation of the lyrics of Votre Toast click here.
Li Chan “Three Stanzas Of Plum-blossoms”
The GWS is one of the composer consortium members organised by the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE). This is an Australian Premiere of the work.
For more information about Li Chan’s composition click here.
Jodie Blackshaw “Symphony No.1 Leunig’s Prayer Book”
This is a major work by Australian composer Jodie Blackshaw. She has provided details program notes and notes for the conductor on her website. It is highly recommended that it is read before arriving at the concert. There is also a recording of the work. For a link to the webpage, click here.
“Jodie Blackshaw’s Symphony No. 1 (2019) carries the subtitle Leunig’s Prayer Book, a genuflection towards those much-loved cartoons and verses of Michael Leunig, in this case four poem-prayers reflecting on the arrival of the four seasons. In terms of scope and aspiration, Blackshaw’s 25 minute symphony is a major work, inflating Leunig’s endearing line-drawings and affecting poetry to almost Mahlerian proportions.” — Vincent Plush, Limelight Magazine March 2019
The four movements are titled as follows. Each is accompanied by a Leunig poem. At strategic places in the score, the composer has provided a quote of a particular passage of the poem. It greatly assists players to make a connection with the emotion and thoughts to how they play their part. We hope you can feel the connection at our live performance.
- Summer: The Blessing of Light
- Autumn: Bitter and Sweet
- Winter: Reflection and Resonance
- Spring: The Creation of Faith
Instrumentation: there are some interesting selection of sounds that you may like to know about. The 3rd Movement Winter makes use of the saxophone section playing with and against three flugal horns and a soprano saxophone solo played by Alison Hocking. Stephen Coutts, the baritone singer, sings in duet with an acoustic guitar played by Nicholas Costanzo. The words sung come from the poem Winter.
We hope you enjoy our concerts. Each program is quite different and most engaging. Please come to our future concerts. We would enjoy your support for live music making.