News

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer

The decision to feature four of Avondale College's music and vocal ensembles in concert so early in the academic year has proved an inspired one.

The Autumn Concert at Avondale Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church this past Saturday (April 12) gave the Avondale Orchestra, Avondale Singers, Avondale Wind Ensemble and The Promise valuable performance practice, which each of the ensembles will benefit from in second semester. Several fudged notes and, on new pieces, an apparent tentativeness did not dampen the appreciation of the 400-strong audience, which belied its conservative appearance by responding more enthusiastically to the wind ensemble's march and any of the spirituals and clapping at the conclusion.

In his response, the church's senior minister, Pastor Adrian Craig, described the concert as a "five-course menu," adding, "but you've left us wanting more. You know our address."

The singers served hors d'oeuvres, and their familiarity with the spiritual, "I want Jesus to walk with me," showed. The 24 male voices--nearly half of the record 50 voices in the ensemble this year--added conviction.

Kurt Bestor's haunting but hopeful "Prayer of the children" served as the meat in The Promise's main course. Bestor, who served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Serbia during the 1970s, wrote the song as a tribute to the country's children when the Yugoslav wars broke out in the early 1990s. Soprano Krysten Rowe's voice carried clearly and strongly on the toe tapping "Down in the river," while the rhyming lyrics of "Witness for my Lord"--"Delilah fooled Samson, this-a we know/ For the Holy Bible tells us so/ She shaved off his head just as clean as your hand/ And his strength became the same as any natural man"--raised a few chuckles.

Natasha Knopper (pictured), conducting the wind ensemble for the first time, dedicated James Swearingen's "Legacy" to three former members of the ensemble who died within one year of each other. Corinne Knopper's percussion, particularly the glockenspiel, punctuated the piece. Senior lecturer in music Dr Robb Dennis, who could have taken a breather from his conducting and directing duties, surprised by playing the French horn.

The singers joined the wind ensemble for dessert, but "Lead on o King eternal" lacked flavour. Nevertheless, we had been given a taste of the year ahead, and we will return for more.