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Voyage of Musical Discovery, a series established and designed by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, is part lecture, part demonstration and part concert. This iteration, entitled Cultural Narratives, finds connections across time from the well-known and loved music of Schubert, to Australian classical improvisers and composers William Barton and Véronique Serret. Aimed at audiences from high school students to composers looking for inspiration, this performance brings a little something extra for your brain to chew on as you listen.[…]
[…]A highlight of this section was Nicole van Bruggen’s mastery of the period-accurate Agnes Geroult clarinet, and the sheer joy that Daniel Yeadon and Simon Oswell (cello, double bass) showed when deepening those “lively conversations”. Jenna Sherry’s violin soared with the help of her deft hand, and her chemistry with Peter Clark and the rest of the ensemble was superb to witness.
Barton and Serret then proceeded to sweep the audience off their feet with a charming and generous demonstration of their compositional process. Their unique combination of violin, vocals, didgeridoo, percussion and electronics resulted in two droning, dense soundscapes. Kalkani was a modern interpretation of the spirit eagle, beginning with various earthly sounds from Barton and screeching from Serret’s violin. Barton’s voice is a wonder to say the least, with a resonance as if it had come from the ancestors themselves.
As part of their demonstration, Barton and Serret used audience participation to great effect by involving us in the creation of a new work. […]
“If you don’t know much about music, and you wish you did, or you know a lot about music and you’re looking for something new – this concert series is perfect for you. Don’t let the thought of a bunch of school students attending stop you from seeing some truly excellent musicians; in fact, it’s a joy to have so much energy and knowledge being shared in the City Recital Hall.”
Charlotte Smee, Theatre Thoughts, 17 June 2022