After the disappointing last minute cancellation of its concert at the Castlemaine State Festival in March last year due to torrential rainfall, the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra is coming back to perform a concert in the Phee Broadway Theatre on Sunday October 2.
The concert’s title ‘Harmony on Lyttleton Street’ relates to a work being performed during the concert and which was composed by Michelle Nelson, a gifted composer and former member of the orchestra. She was inspired to write this piece about 12 years ago after visiting two other orchestra members who were Castlemaine residents living in a cottage in Lyttleton Street in Castlemaine.
Other composers whose works will be performed include Venezuelan Ricardo Sandoval, American composers John Goodin and Robert Martel, Timotheos Arvanitakis from the Greek Islands, Australians Stephen Lalor, and German composers Kurt Schwaen and Elke Tober-Vogt. The ‘Klezmer Suite’ by the last named composer will feature three talented soloists Brendon Payne on percussion and two from central Victoria – Andy Rigby, well known multi-instrumentalist, playing accordion for this piece and young Haley Goddefroy, a whiz on clarinet! This latest repertoire of the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra is very diverse and exciting!
The Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra, now in its 54th year of performing concerts and currently conducted by Kent Ross, is no stranger to Castlemaine and Bendigo, having performed to sell-out audiences at several past Castlemaine State Festivals.
Back in the 1970s it conducted a number of very popular ‘mandolin camps’ in Bendigo which ultimately led to the formation of FAME – the Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles (ww.fame.asn.au). This organisation has continued the tradition started by the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra and regular conducts Mandolin Festivals in capital cities around Australia and New Zealand, the next planned for January 2023 in Perth.
The Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra has toured several times in Europe and Japan, has competed with dramatic success at the inaugural International Mandolin Orchestra competition in Eupen, Belgium, and released six CDs in recent years. Copies of the CDs will be available for sale at the concert in early October. If you are interested in future concerts please visit the orchestra’s website at www.melbournemandolinorchestra.org.au
Tickets are available online via Trybooking at https://www.trybooking.com/CBYWQ or at the door before the concert which commences at 2.30pm.
The Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra will entertain you and charm you. Don’t miss this very special event!
