The most recent heartwarming performance by Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO): Guy Nobles Great Tunes at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC)was particularly special.
Farewell to Guy Noble
Not only was it the fifth and final Music on Sundays for 2023, but for Guy Noble, our dedicated, extraordinary and charismatic conductor, and musician it was his last performance with QSO after working with them for eighteen years.
Guy has been such fun with his humourous on-stage antics, dress-ups, sometimes politically motivated quips and traits that fostered a genuine rapport with his musicians and audience. He often had us laughing out loud, he made music fun and took us down memory lanes of tears and amusement. Thank you Guy Noble for your dedication, passion and clever artistry.
Another highlight of Music on Sundays was Nicole Tait, Section Principal Bassoonist from the wind section of QSO. Nicole charmed us with her powerful soloist performance up close and personal on the front stage, playing Weber Andante & Hungarian Rondo. I cannot imagine how strong her lungs must be to produce such haunting sounds with her bassoon.
The final Sunday’s program for 2023 chosen by Guy was wide and varied with huge applauds from the audience with each rendition:
Humperdinck (1854-1921: an excerpt from Hansel und Gretel and no in reality it was Gerry Dorsey who took the name of the German composer whose real name was Engelbert Humperdinck. The real Humperdinck fame rests on this one performance and on receiving the score in October 1893, Reichard Strauss declared Hansel und Gretel a masterpiece.
Westlake(born 1958): Concert Suite from Babe. Nigel Westlake has written memorable works for screen and concert performances. His modern music is interwoven with existing classical work. These light-filled playful sounds were created for the movie Babe (1995), the Aussie classic about a pig who wants to be a sheepdog. A fun arrangement of music.
Weber (1786-1826): Andante e Rondo Ungarese was composed when Weber was still making his name. He was in Munich in 1811 and directed a concert with a local orchestra of his own. It was so successful everyone wanted him to write more. One of them was a follow-up work of his Bassoon Concerto, first performed by Georf Friedrich Brandt, who soon requested more from Weber.
Chabrier (1841-1894): Espana was created when he was on holiday in Spain. He brought back jottings containing folk songs of bright orchestral colours and intoxicating rhythms.
Sibelius (1865-1957): Symphony No.5 in E flat, mvt 3 is the essential Finnish composer who as a solitary and methodical artist who wrote this symphony, one of the most popular of his works at a time of great personal difficulty and it comes through this emotional piece.
Horner (1953-2015): Field of Dreams (End Credits). Many of us remember this story (1989) when the main character decides to build a baseball field in his cornfield. It film is more about love and loss, parents and children rather than baseball. But more importantly, it is about believing in your dreams.
Enescu (1881-1955): Romanian Rhapsody in A. A violinist, conductor and composer he is renowned as being an equally fine pianist. Regarded highly in his native Romania his name is honoured at the international music festival held in Bucharest every two years. This rendition has an open-air quality with an easy tempo and time signature to build excitement. A superb end to the day.
Ruth Greening holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology & Philosophy. Before retirement, she worked for over 40 years in the corporate world in Melbourne and Brisbane and progressed into senior management positions and project roles for both private industry and government.
In her 70th decade, she continues in casual roles as a freelance writer, model, and actor participating in small movies, TV commercials and User Generated Content.
As a grandmother, she is known as Nanny Babe to her grandchildren and writes from a Baby Boomer perspective on her blog www.nannybabe.com. An avid crafter Ruth actively participates in sewing, crocheting and knitting.
While she continues to pursue her artistic passions, Ruth is dedicated to maintaining her health and fitness as she ages by attending the gym, dancing and walking and thrives on mentoring others.
Connect with Ruth or our moniker Nanny Babe; nannybabegengp.blogspot.com.au/
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