“After an awful two years, the first program for the new year from Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra is a return to the music and the universal search for meaning and hope of artists and their audiences. While the rain is back in Sydney, Northern Serenades paints meadow landscapes of fresh blooms and gentle night breezes.
“Bringing together composers from across the 19th century, the concert program included a mix of conventional composers and those less popular amongst general audiences for a pretty, relaxing program of new beginnings. The springtime spirit even broke into the traditional black garb of the musicians with a smattering of floral prints amongst the orchestra.
“The opening composition “St Paul’s Suite in C Major, Op.29, No.2” by Gustav Holst was a rousing start of a jaunty jig in the first movement that moved into a delicate second movement of shimmering violins and pizzicato for an overall upbeat and almost cinematic energy. But the third movement was a stand-out for Rachael Beesley’s languid violin…
“What is so joyful about watching Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra play, and what especially came through in this program of light and air, is their embodiment of the music, the clear pleasure they take in their art. ARCO musicians perform, creating an all-encompassing atmosphere in their concerts that is infectious. And, especially at this time, the relief of joy, hope, and new beginnings was palpable.”
Image © Robert Catto
Night Writes 26 March 2022