WINTER RECITAL: WESLEY MUSIC SCHOLARS (CONCERT)

Wesley Music Centre, Forrest July14

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Aptly named due to the bitterly cold weather outside, the Winter Recital by the Wesley Music Scholars produced a welcome warmth with performances of selected works from the classics to jazz to modern.

Starting the concert with Franz Schubert’s Lied der Mignon, Phoebe Bourke, mezzo soprano, and Jojo Yuen, piano, gave a fine performance of this well-known song. Bourke’s sensitive singing gave depth to the pain and emotion in the character of Mignon.

Brad Tham, violin, and Pippa Newman, viola, followed with Reinhold Gliére’s 8 Pieces Op. 39. These varied works give performers a good opportunity to showcase their abilities and both players showed great skill in their playing, as well as showing how much they were enjoying it.

Pippa Newman and Brad Tham

Next, soprano, Evangeline Osborne, a jazz voice and composition student, and pianist, Martin Magill, performed two contrasting works, Wayne Shorter’s Black Orpheus, a haunting latin melody from the famous film and Louis Armstrong’s jaunty Sunny Side Of The Street. Osborne showed fine technique and ability to entertain with these songs and Magill, with his nimble playing, showed that he was a sensitive and accomplished accompanist.

Gabriel Fromyhr

They were followed by Gabriel Fromyhr on cello who played 3 Courantes by J.S. Bach. His confident, relaxed playing brought out the differences between all three fast-paced works and showed his mastery of the instrument.

Tanya Boag on violin then performed the Allemande from J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 for Violin in D minor. She gave a thoughtfully sensitive performance of this melodic work.

From left: Phoebe Bourke, Evangeline Osborne, Pippa Newman, Martin Magill and Jesse Hill

Evangeline Osborne, soprano, Phoebe Bourke, mezzo soprano, Pippa Newman, alto, Martin Magill, tenor and Jesse Hill, baritone, performed the final item of four very different songs, commencing with Purcell’s Thou Knowest Lord and following with Billy Joel’s And So It Goes, Peace Offering by Jesse Hill and Our Song by Kate Miller-Heidke. Their voices skilfully blended with great appeal across the different styles of music.

This charming concert showed that, with young performers of this calibre, Australia’s future in music performance is assured.

 

Photos by Dallice Trost

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 15 July 2024.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.