Music / “Finding the Lost Year”, Maruki Community Orchestra, Albert Hall, March 14. Reviewed by CLINTON WHITE.

AFTER a year’s hiatus, the Maruki Community Orchestra, under the direction of John Gould, burst back onto the scene with an ambitious start to its 2021 season of four concerts.

But perhaps it was a little too ambitious. This concert seemed more one of “Making Up for the Lost Year” than “Finding” it.

Someone once said to me that a winery with myriad grape varieties in the vineyard will make a lot of OK, but not necessarily great, wine. At the risk of mixing metaphors, with four major works on the program for this concert, Maruki might do well to trim its sails a little and play fewer or shorter, and less challenging works really well.

For all that, Maruki’s philosophy is a grand one and deserving of praise. Being strongly community-based, it encourages and welcomes musicians of any skill level to come along and play in a symphony orchestra setting.

Apart from issues with tuning, tone, tempo and balance, Maruki valiantly soldiered its way through the overture “Egmont”, in tribute to its composer, Beethoven (last year was the 250th anniversary of his birth). It started rather too slowly but when the tempo picked up in the middle, there were moments of glory, especially in the big crashing chords that hallmark the piece.

Then there was the world premiere of “In Search of the Lost Land” by Canberra composer, Alan Hinde. Its story is reminiscent of James Cook’s commission to search for the “great southern continent”. It is a very tuneful work, which the orchestra handled nicely, but the smooth “sailing the ocean blue” that the tune suggests, was not as smooth as it could have been.

Handing the baton over to double bassist, Jennifer Groom, John Gould returned to his first love – the violin – for a fine performance of Sibelius’ violin concerto – his only concerto. 

Gould has an impressive biography, having played as both a member and concerto soloist with the Sydney and London Symphony Orchestras and was a founding member of the Carl Pini String Quartet.

From the very first notes of the Sibelius, it was clear that, even after more than 60 years playing the violin, he still is a master of his instrument. His was a refined and thoughtful performance and one that was sympathetic to the players behind him. 

Baton back in hand, Gould concluded the concert, given before a sizeable audience, with Schumann’s fourth symphony. He chose to play the original 1841 version, which Brahms preferred to Schumann’s revision a decade later.

This was the orchestra’s best performance of the afternoon, with more assured playing and better tone and balance, if somewhat stilted. It did not achieve the lyricism that a work very much from the Romantic music era, and especially Schumann, would demand. 

However, the orchestra did build the work quite nicely to its big finale.

This was a friendly and well-organised event. The Maruki Community Orchestra and its volunteers and supporters are to be congratulated for their efforts, not only to bring music to the community, but also to make opportunities for the community’s direct involvement in the music.