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Review: Discovering spaces with music

Meriel Owen, harp
MUSIC

CIMF Concert 1: “Amazing Space 1: Sounding the NPG”

National Portrait Gallery, noon – Friday, May 11

Reviewed by Ian McLean

 

RATHER than a team of heraldic fanfare trumpets, the 2012 Canberra International Music Festival (CIMF) was announced with a chirpy and cheerful piccolo.

Some 200 audience members gathered at the entrance to the National Portrait Gallery for that bubbly Kiri Sollis introduction then listened to architect Graeme Dix explain the acoustic qualities of this newish building.

All then accepted his invitation to explore the spaces and to discover musicians strategically placed within.

A harp (Meriel Owen) here, a haunting solo soprano voice (Susan Ellis) there, mystic vibes and glockenspiel in the contemporary gallery, flutes at opposite ends of a corridor of portraits and a mandolin perched on an enclosed ledge provided aural insight into the sound qualities of this “amazing space”.

Pied Piper-like, the audience was then led into the Gordon Darling Hall for an enchanting hour of collective exploration.

Members of the so versatile Griffyn Ensemble, together with Kate Clark and renowned percussionist Michael Askill, provided the magic music via a varied offering by composers ranging from Bach, Satie and Richard Meale to Michael Sollis, Peter Sculthorpe and Bob Dylan, all loosely tied together as a tribute to Patrick White.

Even though the outside world occasionally intruded upon the calm contained within the resonating NPG walls, this reflective, peaceful and atmospheric concert was the perfect way to not kick off, but to gentle venture into, the 2012 CIMF.

A great way to start!

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