It begs the question: can 9100 carol singers really evoke a silent night? Adelaide does have its own unique style, Geoff tells me. “One of the biggest disappointments has been the unavoidable cancellation of the annual Christmas Pageant, which I remember as a boy.” An Adelaide fixture of some 87 years’ standing, its notable statistics include the 2010 world record for most carol singers. “I was once playing down at the Four Winds Festival and the wind against me was so strong that I couldn’t make a noise at all.” Those of you who have ventured to Bermagui for that lovely festival will be well-acquainted with the effect of the sometimes blustery weather, and the discomfiture of the musicians as they struggle to keep music on stands, something that has been helped with the advent of the ipad. We’ve tried the plastic flute guards, which work well but look a bit hilarious.” Designed for outdoor flute-playing, the ingeniously simple wrap-around clear plastic thingummies prevent a strong wind either from making the flute sound of its own accord or counteracting the flutist’s breathing. “The best arrangement we found was to sit in a big circle facing each other. A germ out of necessity, you might say.”Īfter a three-month hiatus, sectional orchestral rehearsals began again in socially-distanced mode, which entailed carefully-measured seating by way of 1.5m measuring sticks. Natsuko has also curated a chamber music series, a venture that the musicians really appreciated and one that we’re keen to continue after things return to normal. “We lost a lot of performances this year, including a Beethoven symphony cycle, although we managed to put on the violin concerto with Natsuko (Yoshimoto) and the Emperor with Konstantin (Shamray). Geoff is excited at the prospect of getting into the newly-refurbished Her Majesty’s Theatre for live performances. Tonight is the opening night of Richard Mills’ marvellous opera based on Ray Lawler’s ‘Summer of the Seventeenth Doll’. I picked a spot on the wall…” It goes without saying that I’m very glad to know that the injury was relatively superficial, even though it must have hurt like billy-o.
#English music prodigy masterclass at mit skin
I knew that Adelaide General would be full with people getting Covid tests, so I went to a private hospital, which was completely empty.” The doctor pulled back the flap of skin and cleaned out the wound of all the debris. “Blood was streaming out of it and I had to get back to my car, two hours away, and find an emergency department. “It wasn’t the first root that did the damage it was the way it caused me to fall onto a second, which tore into my hand.” Holding up his left palm, he shows me the eleven-stitch scar he didn’t have when I last saw him. We, too, love our time alone, although we’re never really alone when we’re joined by our imaginations.Īt Easter, on such a solitary foray into the Adelaide Hills, Geoff tells me that he exercised his talent for misadventure, another trait that I share, and tripped over a tree root. I’ve always valued my time alone, and when I walk, I tend to choose paths away from the well-trodden ones.” It’s a sentiment that resonates for a Munro. I’ve been enjoying bush-walking, cooking, being calmer, being more self-reliant and solitary. “It’s interesting - I’ve felt quite good about being in reduced circumstances. Sonia and Paul have led us through the pandemic mess with what I’d call ‘realistic optimism’, a quality that Geoff has always shown in abundance. Since March, when we last came together as an ensemble in person, we have had to meet as a group via Zoom to discuss planning and contingencies for 20, tasks faced by individuals and organisations across Australia and, indeed, the world. “Masks were recommended but not enforced, and life has been fine, despite the restrictions.” “In Adelaide, we largely escaped the restrictions that Melbourne had,” he tells me.
We agree immediately that we are both fine and well, enjoying a year without a single bout of cold or flu, a welcome but unexpected blessing. It’s really good to see him after so long.
A couple of weeks ago, I called my Australia Ensemble colleagues to see how we’re all getting along, and to find out what we’ve been up to in this strangest of years.Ī very chipper, cheery Geoff appears on my phone screen.
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