Hopetoun Concert

Well, that was different! Quite apart from having a nice little holiday in Hopetoun, I had a great time playing lots of piano in a long concert in the recently built Community Centre on 19 October. Despite coinciding with the local government election it was nearly sold-out. About ten percent of the local population turned up to this fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which raised about $1,100. This will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a local mine.

Please note: in common with my other blog posts this is NOT a review. I’m a musician, not a music critic. This is simply a record of what happened with basic info about who did what. It’s only of interest to those who were there and perhaps their families. It’s a memento of an event we all enjoyed, the memory of which would otherwise be lost forever. Feel free to share and to make comments at the end.

Screen shot from the video

The concert promoter was the Qualup Choir, led by Richenda (Chenda) Goldfinch, a local artist and poet with endless energy and enthusiasm. And, I might say, she can conduct a beat better than many others, and takes a lot of care over shaping the music.

Mary Roberston. All photos by Sue Leighton except for screen shots (scrn).

I hadn’t met this community choir until a few hours before the concert but they had been working with recordings I’d made for them some weeks prior. After many years the regular accompanist, Mary Robertson, had had to withdraw her services due to ill health.

Toni Arndt

Toni Arndt, a wonderful soprano friend from the Perth Hills, drove me down. We were met there by other friends from the Hills, Jean and Henry Bourgault. In fact, there was quite a Hills contingent and I made new friendships with both Hopetoun locals and people from Perth.

Jean Bourgault at the Yamaha digital piano

Jean accompanied Henry for his songs and some of Toni’s. I accompanied Toni and the choir, and played several piano solos including two originals.

Toni singing “It’s a Fine Life” (scrn)

Toni wowed the audience with Seligkeit (Schubert), Porgi Amor (Mozart), It’s a Fine Life (Lionel Bart), As Long as He Needs Me (Lionel Bart), La Vie en Rose (Piaf and Louiguy), and Rien de Rien (Vaucaire and Dumont), with Jean at the piano. With myself at the keys she sang Liebhaber in allen Gestalten (Schubert), O Mio Babbino Caro (Puccini), Beside the Foyle (my very special arrangement with new music and new lyrics to the tune of Londonderry Air or Danny Boy, being the latest version with an extra verse with a new melody), Black is Beautiful (by Bruce Lawson and Toni’s late husband, Frank Arndt), and Bring Him Home (C-M Schönberg).

Jean & Henry (scrn)

Jean also accompanied Henry in two songs which brought the house down: O Isis and Osiris (Mozart) and The Song of the Flea (Mussorgsky).

Song of the Flea (scrn)
(scrn)

My piano solos were Rainbows Over Hovea and Puck at Parkerville (originals I completed in 2017), Song Without Words, Op. 19, No. 3 (Felix Mendelssohn), Solace – a Mexican Serenade (Scott Joplin), and the slow movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata.

(scrn)
Chenda Goldfinch

Chenda has many talents. Months later I’m still slowly reading through her wonderful book of poems, photos, drawings, and paintings called Footprints of a Traveller (ISBN 978-0-9872072-7-2). See her Facebook, LibraryThing or GoodReads. You might need to get a copy directly from her. Great to read at the end of the day!

The Qualup Choir with myself at the piano

The Qualup Choir, led by Chenda and accompanied by myself, sang Some Enchanted Evening (Rogers & Hammerstein), Any Dream Will Do (Lloyd-Webber), As Long as I have Music (Besig & Price), Autumn Leaves (Mercer & Kosma), Can You Feel the Love Tonight (John & Rice), and The Ugly Duckling (Loesser). They began and finished with unaccompanied numbers: Kaya (Welcome Song, by Charmaine Bell), and There Will Be Peace On Earth.

(scrn)

The excellent compare for the evening was Coralie Daw.

My association with Jean and Henry is quite patchy but goes back a long, long way. In 1974, when I was in year 8 at Eastern Hills Senior High School (EHSHS), I was in the trumpet class with one of their sons, Phil. Our teacher was Sam Maher. He was no doubt a good teacher but I dropped out of trumpet after half a year.

Also in that year I was in Henry’s French class. I recall desperately trying to pay attention so he wouldn’t ask me too many questions, on the theory that he would ask questions of any student staring out the window as a crowd control technique. Consequently, he wrote glowingly of me in the end of year report, saying something about how keen I was. But as he said the other day, no-one remembers the foreign languages they learn at school. So true!

When I was in year 10 (?) Jean was (I think) the music teacher at the primary school next door. I recall showing her a theory book I’d been working through, standing outside near where the buses stop. She made some tactful comment along the lines of ‘you need to get a theory teacher.’ I don’t know why that did not happen.

Fast forward to early 2012 when I joined the Hills Choir Inc., based in Mundaring, and sang in the tenor section for a year. That was around the middle of Jean’s 13-year stint as conductor of this very strong choir. Subsequently, I’ve often accompanied them on piano at rehearsals when Libby Patrizi, the regular accompanist, can’t get there, and sometimes at concerts. (Libby is the daughter of Mary Robertson, mentioned above.) Sometimes I have played piano solos at their concerts at EHSHS, including originals.

But it was not until just a few years ago that I discovered both Jean and Henry had been students at Claremont Teachers College together with my father. OK, so now you’re wondering how old everyone is. Well, Jean and Henry are both 82 now but my father, John Joseph Jones (1930 – 2000), would have been about seven years older than they were when they were all at college as he was a mature age student.

Me, Toni, Jean, Mary, Chenda

Back to Hopetoun. What a lovely place, and such warm, friendly people. We all got lots of compliments and expressions of appreciation from the audience, which included tourists. I don’t think I was misgendered once, although, sadly, I didn’t get called by the singular ‘they.’ So much for dire predictions of stuck-in-the-mud conservative old folks. No, they consistently called me ‘she’ and were almost falling over themselves to thank and compliment me.

A big group of us did party, and went sight-seeing together. See my blog post Hopetoun Holiday.

Standing ovation

We made a video of the whole event but it’s just for training purposes and for those involved to keep as a memento.

Artwork on the Royal Flying Doctor Service at the front of the stage. (scrn)
Sue is on the right. (scrn)

PDC 30th Anniversary Concert 2019

What a great concert it was! Perth Discovery Choir’s 30th anniversary event had two guest choirs, two guest conductors, another former PDC conductor who didn’t conduct but played flute and piano (not at the same time!), and a wonderful bass-baritone soloist. Oh, and a sell-out standing-room-only audience. 3pm last Saturday, 10th August 2019.

PDC and Louise

PDC and Musical Director Louise Bell

 

MDJ conducting Beside the Foyle

MDJ conducting Beside the Foyle

It was a great pleasure and a privilege to conduct my Beside the Foyle. The tune is familiar as Londonderry Air or Danny Boy but this year I’ve radically changed the words and I’m glad to say I’ve had many compliments for it (this was the world premiere of these new lyrics). Perth Discovery Choir sang my first arrangement of this melody when I founded the choir 30 years ago in the Claremont Town Hall. Choir member Alan Hope sang it that year and got to sing it again on the weekend after he re-joined the choir recently.

MDJ talking about Beside the Foyle

MDJ talking about Beside the Foyle

All involved in the concert should give themselves a big pat on the back, but particularly the current musical director Louise Bell, and the secretary, Roger Munt. Louise is a musical powerhouse. This wonderful singer and conductor teaches music at Mazenod College and lectures in music education at ECU, in between leading both PDC and No Rechoirments. Talk about busy! PDC is so fortunate to have an educationalist like her who continually improves the members’ skills.

Roger Munt, PDC's tireless secretary

Roger Munt, PDC’s tireless secretary

Roger keeps himself very busy as secretary of the PDC committee and has very recently retired from part time lecturing in engineering at UWA. I’m so impressed at his dedication to the role; there is no doubt the anniversary concert could not have happened without his foresight and enthusiasm, along with his very helpful committee.

Bronwen Herholdt (cond.), Esther Arthur (piano), Louise Bell (soprano)

Bronwen Herholdt (cond.), Esther Arthur (piano), Louise Bell (solo soprano)

Louise’s conducting load was lightened a little by Bronwen Herholdt, a versatile musician who conducted a choral item in which Louise sang a solo. Esther Arthur, the choir’s regular piano accompanist, has a very sure sense of rhythm which was especially evident in the choral selection from Les Misérables.

Bronwen acknowledging Louise's solo

Bronwen acknowledging Louise’s solo

Sold out

Sold out

Note that, despite now using Dalkeith Road Church of Christ in Nedlands, the choir is not a religious choir. Though some members are church goers the group is a community choir and is not affiliated with any church. It’s a great shame that so many people associate choirs with singing angels, but also understandable when you consider that 1) a lot of the best choral music is sacred, and 2) many community choirs use church venues. One day I was recommending my local choir (the Hills Choir, in Mundaring) to a friend up here and they said “Oh, you mean the church choir.” Er, no, it’s not a ‘church choir,’ like PDC they just hire the premises, and so do I for my solo piano recitals and my students’ performance practice concerts even though I’m an atheist. It’s simply that they are good venues.

Standing room only

Standing room only

I’d lost all contact with the choir after the 10th anniversary and had no idea if they still existed until about two years ago. But here they are, pulling in the crowds.

Choir concerts like this are a great benefit to the community. The packed crowd had a great time and even got to do a sing-along with clapping. The fact that singers and audiences alike are all getting older is irrelevant. Singing is good for you, and it feels good, too.

Naomi Millett

Naomi Millett

Another person there on Saturday from PDC’s very first year was Naomi Millett, who came in from the wheatbelt to be in the audience. Naomi, like any Bachelor of Music student, played a little piano and was our accompanist for many weeks in 1989. She went on to become a marvellous classical guitar, mandola and mandolin player, and long-time radio presenter for RTR FM.

Also sitting it out was Hazel Potts, the PDC accompanist from 2003 to 2007. (Sorry, there was no photo taken.)

Phil Robertson describing how he overcame stroke to get his piano skills back

Phil Robertson describing how he overcame stroke to get his piano skills back

I’m not going to do a piece-by-piece review of the event but I must mention two soloists who made time stand still. A young Jake Bigwood, bass-baritone, sang Stars (from Les Misérables) and Ol’ Man River (from Showboat), both quite outstanding. He’s now off to London for further study (sorry, I didn’t get a photo). Phil Robertson, a former PDC conductor, overcame a stroke two years ago to give us a wonderful rendition of a Siciliene by JS Bach, arranged for piano by Alfred Cortot. Phil also added a nice touch to Sunrise, Sunset (from Fiddler on the Roof) with his lovely flute playing.

Phil Robertson playing Bach arr. Cortot

Phil Robertson playing Bach arr. Cortot

Phil was PDC’s musical director for many years starting in mid-1995 when he was head of music at Scotch College.

No Rechoirments

No Rechoirments

The guest choirs were No Rechoirments, led by Louise, and Starlight Hotel Choir, led by accomplished musicians Dave Johnson and Peter Anthony. Both of these groups made a major and wonderful contribution to the event. The sheer joy of their singing was infectious and PDC greatly enjoyed singing with them.

Starlight Hotel Choir

Starlight Hotel Choir, led on guitar by Dave Johnson (left) and Peter Anthony (right).

 

Starlight Hotel Choir

Starlight Hotel Choir

 

Sue Clarke, MC

Sue Clarke, MC

Last but not least I can’t get away without mentioning the wonderful Master of Ceremonies, Sue Clarke, who got it all to flow smoothly, and Concert Organiser Tony Fanowrios, who dealt admirably with the logistics on the day. Publicity Officer Sally House produced a full house (no pun intended).

The success of the event was wrought by a big team including many people I don’t know (especially in the other choirs). Many thanks are due to the Front-of-House and refreshment people who also did a great job and were kept busy. These included AdrianLynda Moir, Russell CockramDenise, and Marilyn.

Stevie Braun made 40 short hand-held video clips totalling 40 minutes which includes a lot of behind the scenes material and mini-interviews. This will be available to choir members on USB as a memento descriptively, if not evocatively, titled All Footage, Warts and All, Nothing Cut. Phil Robertson had a camera set up on a tripod and should also have some video.

You can read more about Perth Discovery Choir at www.mixmargaret.com/PDC, including lots of text from early newsletters.

Many thanks to Roger for some details and suggestions used in this blog. At some point I’ll make more blog posts with the concert’s printed programme and the scans of pics etc from 1989 through to 1999 which were displayed at the concert including a couple of first place certificates the choir won at competitions.

Please feel free to make comments below, and please tell me if I’ve forgotten more people than I’ve remembered I’ve forgotten (you know what I mean). I want to include everyone who played a special role for the sake of a historical record. All photos above are screen shots from Stevie Braun’s video.

The USB. Use a right-click to enlarge or open in a new tab or window.

Screen screen print of the top level of the USB. Anyone in the choir can ask Roger for a copy. The folder with the purple dot has the videos and pics.

UWA Keyed Up! Day of Piano, & RSI

I went back to my alma mater today to watch UWA Head of Keyboard and Performance Studies, Graeme Gilling, give masterclass tuition in the second annual Keyed Up! Day of Piano.

Graeme Gilling with student

What a great resource this is for piano students and teachers in Perth. Graeme’s many years of experience as a performer and teacher were in evidence as he gave sage advice to students ranging in age from young children through to late teens (and perhaps 20 year olds?), playing pieces from the early grades through to about grade seven or eight and perhaps one from the AMusA.

Topics covered, usually with several students, included voicing, rhythm & beat in mazurkas, balance, articulation, shaping phrases, and playing as if you were singing. Graeme made the point, often completely missed by students and teachers alike, that the only difference between a loud sound and a soft one was the speed with which the key goes down. So true and so counter-intuitive! The difference seems to be beyond human perception and so many people incorrectly think it has something to do with a vague notion about ‘force’ or ‘weight.’

Mx Margaret Dylan Jones

Mx Margaret Dylan Jones, that’s me.

A point made several times was that all pianists need to be careful to avoid getting repetitive strain injury (RSI), a descriptive term for an overuse injury also known as occupational overuse syndrome. While playing with wrists in an unnatural position (such as low, with the hands bent up) is not the only problem it is certainly asking for trouble. I had RSI about five years ago, caused mainly from a faulty piano technique but with poor computer mouse use a contributing factor. Then I discovered a much better technique for piano playing and now I’m practically symptom-free.

I don’t often get down to ‘The Flatlands’ so it was a little nostalgic for me to be in the Callaway Auditorium again. Professor John Exton’s black hemispherical acoustic baffles (diffusors?), installed just before I began studying for my degree there in 1979, are still hanging from the ceiling (see pic below), which no doubt contribute to the venue having such good acoustics. These students were so lucky to play there on a wonderful full-size Steinway grand. What a sound! But I wonder if anyone has thought to check the baffles for dust & dead insects. If they get heavy will they one day come plummeting down?

Callaway Auditorium at the University of Western Australia

Callaway Auditorium at the University of Western Australia

This annual event is highly recommended for all students and teachers. Feel free to comment below.

Hills Choir 30th anniversary concert & party

The Hills Choir Inc. celebrated their 30th anniversary with a lovely concert on 11 December 2016 and a private party a week later.

Jean Bourgault conducted the choir for her final performance (again). Next year the conductor’s role will be taken by the very talented local singer, Storme Reeves.

Sitting in the audience I was privileged to hear a string of wonderful performances by the choir and the long list of guest performers including the student percussion ensemble of Eastern Hills Senior High School in Mount Helena, Western Australia, where the concert was held.

There’s always a bit of nostalgia for me when I listen, play or sing in this wonderful and fairly new auditorium at EHSHS. In the 1970s I was a student there, doing years 8, 9 and 10 before heading ‘down the hill’ to Governor Stirling SHS to do my final two years before university. For years 11 and 12 I needed to change to Govo because Eastern Hills didn’t have a classroom music programme in those days, though in year 8 I did get six months of trumpet lessons in a demountable classroom with Sam Maher (a classmate for that, much better at trumpet than myself, was Phil Bourgault, one of Jean’s sons). Now the school has an amazing specialist music programme (largely developed I suspect by Maurice Bourgault, another son), with the student performers often participating in the choir’s concerts.

Jean Bourgault was the music teacher at the primary school next door. Her husband, Henri, taught me French in Year 8. Jean and Henri were classmates of my late father in teachers’ college (Dad was a mature age student) but I didn’t know this until a few years ago. Small town, Perth, eh?

Jean was never my teacher but I distinctly remember standing by the side of the road outside the schools showing her a small music theory book in which I’d written answers. She had a quick look at it and very politely and tactfully said “You ought to have a theory teacher.” This must have had quite an impact because I subsequently had a lot of theory teachers.

There’s no great review of the concert here from me, really just a few pics for posterity including the printed programme (zoom in to read it). More pics have been put up on a Facebook page.

At the party a week after the concert I had the opportunity to play a couple of original piano compositions which I completed earlier this year. Puck at Parkerville is a playful neo-baroque solo inspired by the mischievous character Puck from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was produced in my childhood home, the Parkerville Amphitheatre, in the 1970s.

Rainbows Over Hovea is a moody but ultimately uplifting work inspired by the Jane Brook valley, particularly the lovely areas around the amphitheatre (which, despite its name, is in Hovea) and the John Forrest National Park. Both piano solos will be published soon.

20161211-64-toni-arndt-hills-choir72

Jean Bourgault conducting the Hills Choir. Eastern Hills Senior High School Auditorium, Mount Helena, Western Australia.

20161211-74-melissa-mikucki-bassoon-brandon-scherrer-pno72

Bassoonist Melissa Mikucki accompanied by Brandon Scherrer.

Hayley Ferris playing Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90, No. 4 (piano solo).

Hayley Ferris playing Schubert’s Impromptu Op. 90, No. 4 in A flat (piano solo).

Storme Reeves singing Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, with Alan Banks

Storme Reeves singing Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, with Alan Banks

Hills Choir concert programme for 11 December 2016.

Hills Choir concert programme for 11 December 2016.

Hills Choir concert programme for 11 December 2016, inside pages.

Hills Choir concert programme for 11 December 2016, inside pages.

Below are pics from the large end-of-year Christmas Party at a private residence in Glen Forrest, 17 December 2016. Many former choir members were able to attend.

Choir history display board One.

Choir history Display Board One.

Chloe Mauger and Display board Two, which she had a big hand in making.

Chloe Mauger and Display Board Two, which she had a big hand in making. I saw myself in some of the pics on this board.

The piano on which I played Puck at Parkerville and Rainbows Over Hovea, plus another Schubert Impromptu (No. 3 in G flat).

Me at the party, sitting at the piano on which I played Puck at Parkerville and Rainbows Over Hovea, plus another Schubert Impromptu (Op. 90 No. 3 in G flat).

For these pics and more see www.facebook.com/MixMargaretDylanJones

See the choir’s own website at www.hillschoir.org.au

Please feel free to make a comment here and/or on Facebook.

HSO concert at Midland Town Hall 20160703

OK, so they’re not the WASO or the Berlin Phil, but there is nothing like a real, live orchestra. A full house enjoyed the Hills Symphony Orchestra’s concert today, and so did I.

HSO at Midland Town Hall on 20160703

HSO at Midland Town Hall on 20160703

According to Facebook I must be in the 10% who’ve never seen Game of Thrones, but now I know some of the music, which was memorable enough as concert music.

Several items from Tchaikovsky ballets reminded me of why I like his music. From melodic elements which seem too simple, too basic, Tchaikovsky fashioned great music which never disappoints. Often made of simple scale fragments and sequences, his music still engages your attention and your emotions, which is similarly a quality of Beethoven’s music. Perhaps there is also magic in the chord progressions and modulations? (These relate to some of my own preoccupations as a composer.)

The King Kong film music seemed well-fashioned but I’m not sure I’ll remember it.

Hills Symphony Orchestra

Midland Town Hall

The amateur HSO is a precious jewel in the local scene. I hope they keep getting such big and appreciative audiences because they deserve it, they put on great concerts. See below for their links.

Mx Margaret Dylan Jones

Mx Margaret Dylan Jones

http://www.hso.org.au/concerts.html

www.facebook.com/HillsSymphonyOrchestra

All-Smalley concert at State Theatre

Since Roger passed away in August I’ve been to two concerts featuring his music (see near the end for the Fremantle Chamber Orchestra’s concert).

It was great to be in the audience last night (20160607) for a Tura concert consisting entirely of music by my mentor, Roger Smalley (1943-2015). The Perth group Decibel performed five works in the first of their first Scale Variable concerts in the Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre (in Western Australia). Most of the music was  composed in the UK before 1976 when Roger moved to Australia to teach composition at the University of Western Australia.

What a delight this was! Though I recognised some of the material I had the feeling I was hearing it for the first time, or with new ears. After reading the great programme notes (by Cat Hope) I realised that some things had found their way into later works, so mystery solved.

These are pieces rarely heard with some probably not performed for decades. The members of Decibel and their friends went to a lot of trouble to assemble or recreate the materials needed, beginning with tracking down some lost items.

The first work was Didjeridu, for four channel tape, composed when Roger was Composer-in-Residence at UWA during his first visit here in 1974. From the programme: “[the work] uses source materials extracted from an LP that is still housed in the UWA library, featuring traditional music from the Mornington Peninsula.” I happened to sit next to Jenny Wildy, who was the music librarian at the Wigmore Music Library for nearly forty years. She said “I know that LP!”

Transformation (1968 rev. 1971) is for piano and live electronic “ring-modulation.” I thought I’d heard Roger using ring-modulation in another work, but I don’t recall it sounding like this. Adam Pinto’s masterful rendition of this virtuosic work was exciting, and the ring modulation was a revelation.

Impulses (1986) for ensemble treats ideas from an earlier work, Pulses. Full of pulsating, of course.

Another piano solo with ring modulation is Monody (1971-72), “the first of Smalley’s pieces to feature ring-modulation as structural, rather than colouristic and decorative role.” This was quite a mesmerising performance by Stuart James.

Decibel gave us the Australian premiere of Zeitebenen (‘time levels,’ 1973-75) for live electronic ensemble and tape, a major 45 minute work which made up the entire second ‘half’ of the evening. A large and varied work. I feel so privileged to have heard it, and I was impressed with how the composer managed the long time frame.

Before coming to Perth Roger was part of Intermodulation, an important electro-acoustic group of four composer/performers, for which he wrote this music. “Decibel is not unlike Intermodulation in its make up and intent… thus the program is dedicated to compositions for acoustic and electronic instruments… Decibel is a world leader in the integration of acoustic instruments and electronics, the interpretation of graphic notations and pioneer digital score formats…”

On 6 December 2015 I went to another really wonderful concert by the Fremantle Chamber Orchestra in the Fremantle Town Hall but I didn’t get around to blogging about it at the time. They gave a great rendition of Roger’s Footwork (2006, also known as Birthday tango) in a programme of mainstream works, and it was very well received. I’ve misplaced the printed programme and there’s nothing about it on their own website. Unlike last night’s concert there was no restriction on photos.

FCO Town Hall concert

Fremantle Chamber Orchestra on 6th December 2015, playing Roger Smalley’s Footwork

So that’s my five cents worth; I don’t write full-on music reviews. There is a little more about the Decibel concert at http://www.decibelnewmusic.com/intermodulations.html Perhaps the whole written programme will be put online, too? It has a lot more detail. (Hint, hint to Cat Hope.)

There was also a review of the Decibel concert the next day in The West Australian newspaper by : https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/31795960/decibel-honours-smalley-legacy/

For more about Roger see my first blog about him from August 2015 and the many comments on it at http://mixmargaret.com/blog/2015/08/19/vale-roger-smalley-a-great-australian-musical-intellect/ At the end of that blog I’m adding more and more links to performances and articles about Roger, including the Decibel concert and any reviews I find.