In The Media
The Star, News & Features, 6 December 2005
Young musicians looking to excel themselves would do well to listen to the Melbourne Grammar School Symphony Orchestra (MGSSO) when it arrives in Malaysia for a series of concert performances.
For one thing, it’s a touring orchestra, and while most of us wouldn’t have heard of the orchestra yet, its vision and reported standing are noteworthy.
The orchestra will be in the country for four concerts – two each in Penang and Kuala Lumpur from Dec 11 to Dec 15.
Of great interest will be the performance on Dec 14 at the Grand Ballroom, Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, where it will be part of the charity event, Trumpeting for Elephants Concert and Bazaar, alongside two other music acts and artiste.
The MGSSO was founded in 1955 by the Grammar school’s first director of music, Donald Britton. The school itself is almost 150 years old. At present the orchestra has some 90 musicians aged 12 to 18 who rehearse two hours a week at lunchtimes and after school.
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Catch the Melbourne Grammar School Symphony Orchestra
in Kuala Lumpur and Penang this month.
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The orchestra gives regular annual concerts in Melbourne, having performed in the Melbourne Town Hall, the Robert Blackwood Hall and the Melbourne Concert Hall, among others.
This isn’t your usual orchestra by any means. In its 50 years, the repertoire of music covered almost matches that of established orchestras worldwide in choice and forward vision, not to mention potentially demanding in terms of skill.
International soloists have appeared with the orchestra over the years. In 1991, the orchestra accompanied acclaimed pianist Leslie Howard (who happens to be an old boy from the school itself) in a performance of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 and in 1993, pianist Ronald Farren-Price performed Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2.
In 1995, the orchestra accompanied pianist Alan Kogosowski in the first performance outside of the United States of Rachmaninov’s Concerto Elegiaque.
In 1998, former leader of the London Symphony Orchestra, Neville Taweel, was the soloist in the orchestra’s performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.
Former members of the orchestra include cellist Qin Liwei (silver medallist in the 1998 11th Tchaikovsky International Competition and winner of the 2001 Naumberg International Cello Competition) and pianist David Tong (winner of the ABC Young Performer Award in 1995 and winner of the John Allison Sydney Piano Scholarship in 2001).
Since 1982, the orchestra has toured interstate in Australia or overseas every December. Overseas tours have included New Zealand, New Caledonia, China, Italy, Britain and now Malaysia and Singapore.
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Martin Rutherford, director of the Melbourne Grammar School Orchestra.
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The orchestra’s conductor is Martin Rutherford. He has conducted the orchestra since 1982 when he was appointed the school’s director of music.
Rutherford has conducted amateur and professional orchestras for many years and has been musical director of a number of orchestral, operatic and musical societies.
He is a composer represented by the Australian Music Centre and is having works accepted by Alfred Publishing in the United States. In 2000, the orchestra performed a concert of his own compositions.
As for the charity event itself, the Trumpeting for Elephants Concert and Bazaar is hosted by Legend Hotel on Dec 14 in Kuala Lumpur. A wide range of charities will participate, selling goods for fund-raising or just to spread the word about worthy causes.
Leading the charities will be A.P.E.S. – the fund for Awareness and Preservation of Elephants Survival, a group of young Malaysians concerned about the environment in Malaysia and passionately want to help preserve Malaysia’s habitat and eco-system. The long term goal of this fund is to start an elephant sanctuary in the South, in addition to the Kuala Gandah Sanctuary near Lanchang, Pahang.
Some of the confirmed NGO participants for the bazaar include Hati, Various Single Work at Home Mothers, Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled and Centre for Environment and Technology and Development, Malaysia (CETDEM).
Various booths will also be hosted by charities in conjunction with “for profit” businesses. These businesses have generously agreed to sell products on the night in aid of their own chosen charity.
In addition to the MGSSO, there will also be a performance by the well known young musical group from Malaysia, Operafest Children’s Choir. The 35-strong choir is the oldest children’s choir in Malaysia. It has travelled extensively around the world in its 19 years since its director Kam Sun Yoke founded the outfit.
Also making a special appearance for the concert and bazaar will be Zainal Abidin. This particular performance will be held on the same day Australian Prime Minister John Howard is expected to attend the East Asian Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
On the day itself, the Charity Bazaar will start at 5pm. The concert starts at 8pm after which the bazaar continues.
Admission to the bazaar is free. Admission to the concert is RM30. Tickets are now available from Legend Hotel reception, Jalan Putra, KL; The Mall Information Counter, Jalan Putra, KL; Grand Seasons Hotel reception, Jalan Pahang, KL; Rayma Sdn Bhd, 2B, Jalan SS24/13, Taman Megah, PJ; and Subang Pharmacy, 21, Jalan SS19/6, Subang Jaya (03-56347398). |
