Concert to celebrate new music from New England
The distinguished local composer and pianist Richard Peter Maddox will be one of the musicians involved in a concert of New England music, titled “Subliminal Messages”, in Armidale this weekend.
“Last year’s ‘Subliminal Messages’ concert was so successful that the University of New England’s Music Department and the New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM) are joining forces again to celebrate new music by New England composers,” said the concert’s artistic director, Steve Thorneycroft.
Mr Thorneycroft, a guitarist, composer and UNE Music lecturer, said he had had no trouble finding musicians keen to be involved. “This is a great opportunity for local musicians just to get together and celebrate what we do,” he said. “Last year’s concert had such a warm, supportive atmosphere that we all wanted it to become an annual event.”
The concert will feature chamber pieces and solos by Ann Ghandar, Richard Peter Maddox, Steve Thorneycroft, Graham Howard, Ben Thorn, and John Plankenhorn. Performers will include a number of NECOM’s Educator Members, including Eleanor Streatfeild, Ruth Strutt and the EphenStephen Guitar Duo.
The program will include several world premieres, such as Phase Faze for two guitars (Thorneycroft), The Owl and the Pussycat for soprano, violin, cello, piano and cor anglais (Maddox), feed it all it needs for solo clarinet by John Plankenhorn, and a selection of piano miniatures by Graham Howard.
Performers will include Robyn Bradley, Peter Maddox and Sheila Guymer (piano), Graham Maddox (oboe/cor anglais), Margaret Howard (violin), Hannah Rowland (viola), Eleanor Streatfeild (cello), Sarah Christopher (bass), Steve Thorneycroft and Steve Tafra (guitars), Ruth Strutt (soprano), Elisabeth Kelvin (clarinet), Nick Negerevich (flute), and Alistair Finco, Kerry Hawkins and Bruce Menzies (French horns).
The concert, at 3 pm on Sunday 23 November, will be in the Auditorium of the C.B. Newling Building (”the Old Teachers’ College”). Tickets are $15 and $10, with $5 tickets available to current students of NECOM’s Educator Members. Bookings can be made at the NECOM office, or by phoning 6772 7013.