Permit No. 176547

PO Box 5571, 9058

Notes JulyMarch – August – May 2015

‘A Sea Symphony’ and RachmaninovElgar’s CelloPiano Concerto Concerto No. 1 Dunedin Town Hall Dunedin Town Hall Saturday 1 August, 7.30pm Saturday 18 April, 7.30pm

Programme: Conductor:Simon Nicholas Over - Conductor Braithwaite Lilburn: A Song of Islands Modi UmbertoDeng (Piano) Clerici - Cello Programme:Elgar: Cello Concerto Anna Leese (Soprano) Rachmaninov:Sibelius: Symphony Piano No.5 Concerto No. 1 Marcin Bronikowski (Baritone) Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 1, A Sea Symphony Choral and City Choir Dunedin

Clarinet Classics with Michael Collins King’s and‘Flute Queen’s Performing Magic’ Arts Centre, SaturdayKing’s 15 and August Queen’s 5pm, Performing and Sunday Arts 16 AugustCentre 3 pm Programme: Saturday 9 May 5.00pm, and Sunday 10 May, 3.00 pm John Ritchie: Concertino for Clarinet and String Orchestra Simon Over - Conductor Michael Collins - Clarinet Programme:John Ritchie: Suite No. 1 for Strings Bach:Weber: Orchestral Clarinet ConcertinoSuite No.3 Conductor: Tecwyn Evans MozartBeethoven: : Flute Symphony Concerto No. No.1 7 Bridget Douglas (Flute) Mendelsohn: Symphony No. 3, Scottish

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www.southernsinfonia.org Elgar’s Cello Concerto’s conductor and soloist share some thoughts about the works and the 1 August Sinfonia concert

Simon Over – Conductor Umberto Clerici – Cello Elgar’s cello concerto is I’m very happy that my first probably one of the best- performance in New Zealand loved cello concertos in the will be with the Southern repertoire and it’s also one of Sinfonia in Dunedin, conducted the best examples of English by a great friend, Simon Over, music that travels well. As an and I’ll be performing Elgar’s Englishman, proud of British Cello Concerto which is a work music, I’m thrilled to be conducting this with a New that I particularly love. This performance will actually be Zealand orchestra and an Italian soloist. Umberto the start of a concert tour that will continue on to Italy and I met in 2011 in Brazil, performing the Nino Rota and France, before I arrive back in Sydney in September. concerto. We instantly hit it off and committed to working together whenever geography and diaries My career can be seen to be divided into three parts: permitted. We did some work in Italy and England and solo and chamber music performances, orchestral then, when in 2014 Umberto was appointed Principal playing as Principal Cello at the Sydney Symphony Cello of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the perfect Orchestra, and teaching as Professor at the Sydney opportunity to work with him in NZ presented itself. Conservatorium. These three activities play important roles in modifying and inspiring my view of music. Elgar’s Another love at first sight for me was discovering Cello Concerto is an example. I’ve performed the work in New Zealand for the first time, so I’m delighted to many parts of the world - from England to Russia - and be conducting A Song of Islands, a tone poem by NZ it always leaves emotional traces in me. The challenge composer Douglas Lilburn. The work is the last in a of the work is to find a balance between its turbulent trilogy of pieces exploring the theme of New Zealand identity and seemed an ideal choice to mark the 100th moods (sometimes apparently ‘desperate’), and the anniversary of his birth. composer himself, Edward Elgar, a Victorian man in his maturity. The interpretation of the work needs to be Lilburn attended Waitaki Boys' High School before emotional, direct and passionate, yet still in a context Canterbury University College, . In of Elgar as a British gentleman, his disillusionment as a 1937 he moved to England to study with Vaughan result of World War I, and the loss of his beloved wife. Williams at the Royal College of Music. The two men remained close: in later years Lilburn apparently would In my opinion the main tension of the Concerto is in the send Vaughan Williams gifts of New Zealand honey, Finale’s coda where an incredible recitativo leads to the knowing he was fond of it. So with a patriotic voice end. Here the cello guides the drama doubled by the and an underlying hint of Englishness, this is a perfect pianissimo violins who add a ghostly aura to the soloist’s companion to Elgar and indeed to Sibelius, whose 5th sound. The double basses, with their pizzicatos (as if Symphony is another very popular cornerstone of chimes of death), act as an alert that there is no more the repertoire. I have fond memories of travelling time left. At first the recitativo starts from doubt, grows with some university friends on a night train in Russia. to desperation and then there is a brief reminiscence of Seeing the coast of Finland in the distance we all sang the third movement – for me, this is the moment that the final movement of this monumental symphony. time stops and the music leads us to oblivion.

Introducing Elgar’s Cello Concerto: talks by Associate Professor Peter Adams and Dr Graeme Downes As part of the close collaboration with the University of Otago, we continue the series of informative and insightful talks given by Department of Music lecturers. Introducing the 1 August concert’s repertoire are Associate Professor Peter Adams and Dr Graeme Downes. University of Otago Seminar Monday 27 July, 5.30 – 7.00 pm. Venue: Department of Music.To register, please contact the Summer School & Continuing Education Office at University of Otago: phone 479 9181, email: [email protected], www.otago.ac.nz/courses/continuingeducation. Southern Sinfonia Pre-Concert Talk Saturday 1 August, 6.40 – 7.00 pm. Venue: Town Hall complex. This talk is free to concert-goers. Clarinet Classics conductor Simon Over discusses the concert programme, and we introduce our clarinet soloist Michael Collins

Simon Over – Conductor Michael Collins – Clarinet There are many firsts for me in We are privileged to have ‘Clarinet Classics with Michael Michael Collins, one of today’s Collins’, such as working most distinguished artists with Michael (he’s previously and a leading exponent of his worked with my Southbank instrument, performing two Sinfonia in London but I’ve clarinet works with us at the never conducted with him King’s and Queen’s Performing before, but greatly admire his Arts Centre in August: John Ritchie’s Concertino for technical wizardry and innate musicianship). Then the Clarinet and String Orchestra and Weber’s Clarinet two Ritchie works are new to me and it will be the first Concertino. He has previously visited New Zealand time I’ve worked in the King’s and Queen’s Performing quite a few times, performing with the New Zealand Arts Centre. I particularly like doing two performances Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia of the same concert, a rare opportunity in the concert world when we’re usually going from one concert to Orchestra, and Southern Sinfonia (in 2011), plus another (unless it’s opera). With the confidence of a undertaking chamber music engagements as well. performance under the belt, I enjoy the opportunity to Michael was voted by the prestigious UK magazine experiment, turn a corner differently, add a little stress Classic FM as the world’s leading clarinettist, and he here and there or colour a phrase or chord differently. has performed as soloist with many of the world’s most significant orchestras, including the distinction I loved doing John Ritchie’s Papanui Road a few years of being the BBC Proms’ most frequently invited wind ago and considered myself privileged to meet such a wonderful man. As well as being Anthony’s father, he soloist, with several appearances at the renowned studied at the University of Otago. He sadly died last Last Night of the Proms. He is also became increasingly year on his 93rd birthday and it’s good to be able to highly regarded as a conductor, and in September 2010 celebrate his music and all he did for NZ music in this assumed the position of Principal Conductor of the concert. The Clarinet Concertino is regarded as a New City of London Sinfonia Zealand classic and the Suite is charming, full of vitality Michael describes the recording of the complete and interest from beginning to end. clarinet works of Weber for Chandos with the City Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 I’ve loved since I was a boy, of London Sinfonia in 2013 as one of the highlights particularly the second movement which I see as a long of his musical career. Of these works, he says: “Along funeral procession. The outer movements are thrilling with Mozart’s Concerto, the three works for clarinet writing, packed with energy and invention; you can and orchestra by Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826), almost smell the burning rubber in the final movement! all composed in 1811, are the cornerstones of the concerto repertoire for today’s clarinettists. I have Calling all budding played these works numerous times, all over the world, and they never fail to bring the house down. Each orchestral players! one has a well-balanced mixture of virtuosity, daring, From late July to early Sinfonia Academy humour, and beauty – a gift for soloists because we December, young players of Grade 3 – 5 standard can demonstrate to audiences each of these facets of can take part in weekly rehearsals at George Street our musical personalities in one work. The role of the Normal School, and under the expert tutelage of orchestra is much more than mere accompaniment. Johanna Brusse, Sandra Crawshaw, Nick Cornish (ably Woodwind solos, a trio of horns, blaring trumpets, and assisted by Merlin Callister), learning both orchestral dashing violins make these pieces even more colourful skills and also how enjoyable group playing is. and exciting. Play with the Orchestra On Sunday 2 August, players of all ages of Grade 6 and above are offered "None of these works would have been possible without the challenge and fun of being buddied with a Sinfonia the clarinettist Heinrich Bärmann. Bärmann must have player and tackling some of Sibelius’s Symphony No. had not just an exceptional technique, but a beautiful 5 and two Brahms dances in a workshop under the tonal quality, as these concertos are as melodious as inspirational baton of our Principal Guest Conductor they are virtuosic. What is interesting, however, is that Simon Over. Bärmann did not simply accept the composer’s scores For more details on these projects and also how to of these works, but left annotated copies which show enrol, please contact Hannah Murray: his additions, changes of articulation, extra grace notes. [email protected], or phone 477 5623. ... None of these changes makes the music any easier to play, but they do make it more thrilling." From Philippa Harris, Meet Simon and Michael Collins – King’s and Queen’s General Manager Performing Arts Centre, Post-Concert Supper – 15 and 16 August After such a wide variety of projects and repertoire at the start of the year, ranging from Anthony Ritchie’s Musical Tastings Portrait of FH in Wanaka, to Dudley Benson’s recording, Sunday July 26, 3pm to Vaughan Williams’s Sea Symphony, our recent June Sinfonia Rooms, Carnegie Centre, 110 concert was in a more traditional mould. The concert Moray Place, Dunedin. featured the sublime playing of Nikolai Demidenko, and $10 member/ $20 non-member. expert conducting of Jessica Cottis. We hope to see them both back in the not-too-distant future. Winter is now well and truly with us Very soon, however, Principal Guest Conductor Simon but that needn’t dampen our spirits. Over will be here for two concerts with us, featuring The Friends of the Sinfonia have just Umberto Clerici as soloist in Elgar’s Cello Concerto and the tonic for a winter’s afternoon: then clarinettist Michael Collins from England as soloist Musical Tastings! Why not join us in works by John Ritchie and Weber. These two final as we enjoy cheese and sample the concerts promise to be a fitting climax as our 2015 fine vintage from Bannockburn’s concert season draws to a close. wonderful Terra Sancta wines?

While concert activity diminishes, our education To complete the afternoon, members projects will be starting up: Sinfonia Academy will be of the Sinfonia and students from the running, our annual Play with the Orchestra will take University of Otago will entertain us. place, and our tour to Otago primary schools is in the There will also be a gourmet hamper early planning stages. And we also look forward to raffle with tickets available during the City Choir Dunedin’s perennial favourite, Handel’s afternoon. The Messiah in December. This is your invitation to banish winter chills in the The second half of 2015 is particularly busy for the warm atmosphere of good company, great music and Friends of the Sinfonia, as can be seen in Richard Higham’s column on this page. fine wine. No concerts are possible without the sterling support To book for this event and receive information about of the Board, my committed staff colleagues, and most other Friends events, contact: Fiona Gray (Treasurer) particularly the conductors, soloists and players who Email: [email protected] Phone: 03 476 7700 continue to produce artistic miracles. Other up-coming events (all at 3pm in We look forward to seeing you at our August concerts. Sinfonia Rooms): Kind regards Sunday 30 August: Violins: From the hands of Philippa Harris the maker to the hands of the artist: Robin Harvey General Manager (maker) and Tessa Petersen (violinist)

From the Friends of the Sunday 20 September: Concertmasters I have Sinfonia known and learned from – Sydney Manowitz Greetings Friends, Sunday 18 October: Music from the Goldfields – a talk by Prof. John Drummond Our up-coming events include: Richard Higham You are invited to meet the conductors, Chair soloists and players after the concerts in the foyers where the Friends will have a The Friends of the Sinfonia is an independent charitable cash bar as a fundraiser. organisation established to provide support to the Southern Meet Simon Over and Umberto Clerici – Town Hall, Sinfonia as well as offering a range of social and musical Post-Concert Supper – 1 August activities