This is indeed a showcase of classical youth talent: four orchestras, four conductors, one soloist and 12 performances to while away a sunny afternoon.
With direct tutorial support from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Elder Conservatorium of Music, these musicians are getting ready to bloom, with several precocious flowers among them.
The well-crafted program for the Gala Concert at the Adelaide Town Hall unashamedly triumphed classical music and musicians. Performance score choices were considered and enabled the ensembles to showcase their skills within secure parameters.
The show was opened by the Adelaide Youth Orchestras’ newest member, the Youth Wind Orchestra. Melancholy reeds contrasted with the melodic clatter of the crisp percussion as Bryan Griffith conducted with restraint, and rich brass tones filled the void of expectation in this debut gala performance by Adelaide’s first full-time youth wind orchestra. The cor anglais of Keelie McKenzie set the tone in an emotive solo, and Patrick Squire’s recorder did not go unnoticed, with the folk songs welcoming us gently before the wake-up of “Shepherd’s Hey”.
Adelaide Youth Strings is all about the rapture of performance, and Martin Butler leads from the front. The baton was put away as the call and response of “Q&A” engaged not only the primary orchestra but also the audience of siblings, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. With hand claps and foot stomps and bows a-flurry, the synchronised strings showed that they are being mentored with care – these mini-musicians have such grown-up sound. Contemporary pieces were easily identifiable, while “Explosive” gave a sneak peek into the potential of these players.
The Adelaide Youth Sinfonia greeted us with “Marche Slave” Op 31, popularised by the animated Aladdin. In this, Brigid Delaney’s sweetly shrill piccolo floated over the soft strings as dynamic control came to the fore. Soloists were the highlight, with haunting brass and woodwind long notes. Dylan Crismani’s world premiere of “Charleston for Orchestra” evoked memories of the roaring ’20s, a two-step tribute with a rollicking oom-pah finish.
The cream of the crop was the Keith Crellin-led Youth Orchestra and the way they shared the stage with soloist Natsuko Yoshimoto, her unborn child and her 1650 violin. With unquestionable poise and self-assurance, both parties complemented each other with pitch, intonation, tempo and dynamics. With 80 bodies on stage, they delivered an at-times mesmeric performance of “Scottish Fantasy”, with the mix of world-renowned and up-and-coming talent a tantalising one.
As with all the showcased acts, this gala left us eager for next year’s offerings.
