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Canberra Today 14°/18° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review / Concert 14 CIMF – ill-conceived format for concert

THROUGH no fault of the performers but due to poor planning, an ill conceived format and careless lack of attention to detail by Festival organising staff this concert was an abject failure.  

Photo Peter Hislop
Photo Peter Hislop
What a shame as the festival seems to have been setting exemplary standards.

The Festival Drummers and Tambuco Percussion commenced proceedings by wandering about Garema Place.   Their unannounced arrival and few rhythmic pieces did summon some interest but it was all pretty lack lustre.

The Royal Military College Band marched into the Place with expected military precision and a stirring arrangement of ‘Waltzing Matilda’.  Then it was avant-garde time, but in entirely the wrong place.   The band broke ranks and individually moved in amongst the audience individually improvising on cells (1 or 2 bar music fragments) supplied by the composer Bree van Reyk.   There were 8 of these cells and after a certain period the band reformed to collectively improvise over the cells.   A healthy passer-by audience had gathered no doubt expecting their interpretation of marching concert band music but bewildered looks were aplenty.   The contemporary music was fine but it needed to be performed in an appropriate space (preferably a concert hall or perhaps the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery) and to an audience groomed and anticipating a journey into totally unconventional music for the ensemble.   One section was appreciated when a Pep band (a small group based on groups located in the stands at American College football  matches and utilised to ‘pep up’ the crowd) casually played a jazz/rock groove whilst 3 other groups continued improvising on the cells inaudible and away from the main action.   Again the overall effect was out of the comfort zone exploratory music and perfectly fine for a sophisticated audience seeking musical challenge (Festival gold pass holders!) but for the lunch time crowd in Garema – no way!!

After the band ended their performance, suddenly there were bells!   I know it was Jessica Wells playing the Carillon on Aspen Island on supposed relay to the city because I had a program, but there was no announcement/introduction/explanation so concert attendees either left or just chatted away to themselves with no idea that the sound around them was actually part of the concert.   There is an old adage that ‘an audience listens with its eyes’.   Sadly there was nothing to see.

Additional poor planning was evident with the finale.   The RMC Band Brass Quintet played the original version of Elena Kats-Chernin’s ‘Beaver Blaze’ particularly well but there was no context.   Again no introduction or announcement (despite the festival director being present) so the poor audience just heard 5 musicians standing against a wall playing an unknown piece.   They had no idea that the celebrated work was composed especially for the Festival in 2007 and that the composer has written seven different realisations of the piece.

I happened to be told by the concert sponsor that the company corporate banner had not been displayed despite that being a major aspect of the sponsorship arrangement.   Yet more haphazard and careless organisation I’m afraid to say.

In the right place and at the right time and with some thought put into location, presentation, logistics etc this concert had potential.   What a shame for the performers and Bree van Reyk that their artistic endeavours were so poorly supported by the Festival.

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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