Scotch College

Foundation Day Concert 2002

It may not have been the celebration of 150 years of Scotch College, and the venue might not have been the Rod Laver Arena. The numbers of performers and audience might have been smaller as well, but the 2002 Foundation Day Concert was one to be long remembered by all who attended and participated. It was, after all, the first one to be given following the construction of the fabulous new School of Music in the James Forbes Academy, and both staff and students were keen to demonstrate the benefits which they are now enjoying. In addition, this was a Foundation Day Concert which showcased the final appearances of a number of very fine musicians, who, we suspect, will continue their careers and make names for themselves in years to come in the realms of classical music.

As always the Concert Hall was packed, and the level of anticipation high as the lights went up on this wonderful occasion.

Under the baton of Director of Music, John Ferguson, the symphony orchestra engaged the audience in Advance Australia Fair and the College Anthem with great gusto, and then launched into two of the trickiest moments of the entire evening.

Lin Jiang, an exceptionally gifted horn player, performed the Glière concerto and showed great composure as he glided over many of the challenging passages. He was ably supported by the orchestra who underpinned this exciting performance with sensitivity and finesse, allowing this virtuoso to demonstrate his control of sound with remarkable dexterity.

Better known than the Glière was the Beethoven Triple Concerto performed by the 'Amati Trio' of Allen Wang (violin), Ye Lian He (cello) and Frank Yang (piano).

The audience was treated to the third movement only, but was uplifted by the rapport and empathy between these outstanding players. They showed an instinctive understanding of the music, and also of the Concert Hall acoustics, to project the music and convey their own engagement with it. Once again, the orchestra provided strong support in a very fine performance.

In the last part of this bracket, the Symphony Orchestra played Bernstein's Candide Overture with delight and liveliness.

They were very much on form and brought the opening section of the concert to a suitable climactic finish. The Orchestra was then joined by the whole Senior School in their strongly rendered Balm in Gilead and Siyahamba, which once again revealed the strong vocal potential of such massed singing.

On a smaller scale, Robert Wakely conducted the String Orchestra in the well-known Serenade for Strings (Op. 48) by Tchaikovsky. The sound of this orchestra has been improving over the last few years, and is currently the best it has been for a long time. There was a richness in this performance which conjured up the sweeping steppes of Russia and the blend of sound was remarkably smooth and convincing. Similarly impressive with their own blend of voices was the Chamber Choir under the direction of Andrew Hunter. The choir, and soloist Nicholas Chong, dealt with the changes in dynamics and the expressiveness of

The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard with deceptive ease, and then rollicked their way through the jaunty Bound for the Rio Grande in an impressive bracket of two challenging pieces.

The Symphonic Wind concluded the first half of the concert, drawing in the audience again for the College Song, and then giving a well-controlled and fun-filled performance of Gandalf (The Wizard) and the Finale from Puszta. The enthusiasm of this ensemble was clear to all, and their liveliness not only brought a classical half to its end, but promised much for the second half of the concert.

The opening of the second half stirred the Hall as only the Military Band and Pipe Band can do. The immaculate appearance and marching (if one can call it such in a very confined space) emphasised the sheer quality of this group of musicians. The pipes swirled their haunting melodies around the hall and on their exit left the final notes of the drum hanging just long enough to mark the disappearance of the last player.

Roger Schmidli's Showband followed with exuberant performances of the ever-popular Lennon and McCartney favourite, Hey Jude, and King of the Timbales. Soloists Andrew Moffat, Stephen Dower and Ed Waters all revelled in their spotlights, and the audience was duly appreciative. This smaller ensemble of only 22 players produced a well-blended sound which was controlled and strongly rhythmic.

The College Choir, now numbering just over one hundred singers, and again under the direction of Andrew Hunter, gave a moving and slightly understated rendering of the magnificent Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine. This is a difficult work, very capably tackled by the massed voices, and with strong support by David Brown on the Concert Hall organ. The Choir seemed a little more comfortable when joined by the Symphony Orchestra to present a rousing version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. With a little less exposure, the voices were stronger and more confident, and ended their bracket with an exciting thrill.

The last part of the concert brought together the massed forces of the school, as the Symphony Orchestra again combined with the entire school to steer the audience through the traditional Scotch favourites (40 Years on and the Boating Song) before skipping through a reasonably comprehensive tribute to Gilbert and Sullivan. Scotch soloists Nicholas Chong, Andrew Moffat and Gareth Roberts were joined by soprano Joanne Blankfield from St Catherine's School. Along with the Senior School they gave a spirited and highly enjoyable performance which brought the evening to a delightful and memorable conclusion.

Congratulations are due to all the music staff, under the direction of John Ferguson, to the soloists who performed so well throughout the night, and to all the performers who showed that Scotch is taking full advantage of the new Music School and building upon its already considerable musical reputation.

Alan Watkinson