“IN Full Flight” opened with “In Flight”, composed by Samuel R Hazo in 2008,  a short piece played with gusto by the Canberra Wind Symphony.

With that opening, conductor Geoff Grey, with a quirky demeanour, kept the evening informal and fast-paced throughout the demanding works selected for the evening’s program.

John Barnes’ “Incantation and Dance” features the percussion section and explores the textures and complexities of wind and percussion instruments, playing with rhythms and at times indigenous sounds from the percussion. Apart from a dance of instruments, it was difficult to imagine exactly what sort of dance, or incantation, might be performed or inspired by this composition.

Grey told us  the story of how Percy Grainger’s work “Handel in the Strand” came to be on the program, painting a vivid picture and invited the audience to imagine Handel strolling down the musical comedy area of London – the Strand. It was a lovely touch that added humour and vitality to the rendition, which included a concentrated melody from the first clarinet.

“Cartoon” by Paul Hart is a 1991 work, requiring only its title to describe it perfectly. The CWS accentuated the humour in the piece with exaggerated trombone slides, for “Cartoon” vividly conjures up the sexiness of Jessica Rabbit, the mischief of Bugs Bunny or any number of animated characters. At times the orchestra seemed slightly hesitant to go full tilt on some percussion, but gave a tantalising “taster” of jazz, swing and frantic-paced slapstick.

The second half of the program was on a more sombre note, with “The Tragic”, a four-movement symphony, by American composer James Barnes, who composed the work in 1997 just after the death of his baby daughter.

It is an unusual way to start a symphony – with a heavy, tentative tuba solo and the timpani. The second movement features bassoon and flute and appears to be an exploration of character traits. In “For Natalie”, the third movement, is beautiful and emotive, both in composition and in this performance. At once melancholic and heartbreaking in its melody, it explores what might have been, had Barnes’ daughter lived.

Church bells and chimes simultaneously represent funeral and wedding bells before  trumpets and triangles herald hope and anticipation, in an uplifting allegro. Three days after the completion of his symphony, Barnes’ son was born.

This was a fresh, entertaining and accessible program, suited to the young orchestra, who embodied the upbeat, quirky humour of the first half of the performance and the full gamut of emotions in the second, all  under the enjoyable direction of Grey.

It is always a pleasure to uncover or rediscover such incredible, locally based talent. “In Full Flight” was raising money for beyondblue to support farmers.