My life has been hijacked! But...wait, that puts a rather 'violent' slant on things. Appropriated perhaps, though that sounds like something the pollies in the national capital do!
MUSIC is running away with my life, making off with little portions & giving them over to music. In this last week, when I wasn't tap-dancing, I was listening to the Sydney Piano Competition or practising piano , at choir practice or singing along with CDs of Handel or William James.
Yesterday, it was our 'local' Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra's turn to spirit away my afternoon.As an unashamed crowd-pleaser, they did a "People's Choice Top Ten Countdown", based on votes lodged on the internet or snail mail for orchestral repertoire performed in the last 15 years. The results were fairly predictable favourites...but here's what the NRSO played.
10. Symphony no. 6 by Beethoven ....1st movement only.
9. Medley from "Phantom of the Opera"
8. William Tell overture by Rossini, and Romance from the 'Gadfly' by Shostakovich
7. Waltz of the Flowers by Tchaikovsky
6. Finlandia by Sibelius and Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov ....Sinbad's tale only
5. Blue Danube Waltz by J Strauss
4. Symphony no. 9 by Dvorak....4th movement only
3. Barcarole by Offenbach
2. Morning from Peer Gynt by Grieg and Radetsky March by J Strauss and Adagio from
"Spartacus" by Katchachurian
1. 1812 overture by Tchaikovsky....disappointingly without canons and church bells....
Yes, very much orchestral pops, but then this is one of the retirement capitals of Australia. More importantly for the NRSO, it put 'bums on seats'. The orchestra receives no funding or sponsorship, and survives on ticket, program & CD sales, donations & Friends contributions.
Below, is maestro Barry Singh. His conductor's choice was the Medley from Jurassic Park by John Williams.
If you'd like to listen to the NRSO Cammerata with local Murwillumbah soprano Liza Beamish perform 'Let The Bright Seraphim', you can click here.
My life has been hijacked, but who's complaining?
