CLASSICAL MUSIC, PALMERSTON STYLE
Forget the stuffy concert hall. Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) swaps the traditional setting for a basketball court, bringing two very different orchestral experiences to Palmerston for a weekend of music, discovery, and family fun.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGES PAZ TASSONE
THE DSO RETURNS to the Palmerston Recreation Centre for Palmerston Classics and Palmerston Family Proms, continuing its partnership with the City of Palmerston, bringing live orchestral music up close to audiences of all ages.
It might seem like an unlikely home for a symphony orchestra, but according to DSO Artistic Director Richard Mills AO, the Recreation Centre has become a special part of the orchestra’s calendar.
“The DSO looks forward to working in Palmerston each year. The basketball court we play in is really a wonderful concert venue. The sound of the orchestra in this venue is quite special, and the relationship with our audience is quite intimate,” Mills says.
Friday night’s Palmerston Classics is aimed at those looking for a proper night out, with a program packed with much-loved works from composers including Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky, Albéniz, Elgar and Rimsky-Korsakov.
The concert also puts some of the DSO’s own musicians firmly in the spotlight, with Stephen Pevely on clarinet, Rob Llewellyn on bassoon and Heath Parkinson on French horn, joining acclaimed Ukrainian-Australian violinist Markiyan Melnychenko as soloists.
For Mills, that variety is an important part of what makes the concert work.
“The DSO belongs to the Northern Territory, and the music we play is for everybody to enjoy,” he says.
“The program offers great variety and features many orchestra players in solo roles, as well as our fantastic guest concertmaster and soloist, Markiyan Melnychenko, a true virtuoso, in the sparkling Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, a real showpiece for violin and orchestra.”
There is also plenty for classical music newcomers to discover, with the program moving across centuries and styles.
“We will also play some very old music for brass, originally written for the Basilica di San Marco in Venice by Gabrieli, and finish with one of the great orchestral classics, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol,” Mills says.
“All the pieces we are going to play are classics. They are loved by both musicians and audiences from generation to generation because they contain something of enduring value that is rediscovered afresh by each succeeding generation. That is why they endure through time.”
The following morning, the atmosphere changes completely. Palmerston Family Proms is designed to introduce younger audiences to the orchestra in a relaxed, interactive environment, making it an ideal first taste of classical music for children and their families.
Hosted by DSO Community Engagement Officer and Principal Cellist Stephanie Arnold, the concert features guest conductor and DSO General Manager Paul Christ, along with instrument demonstrations from young musicians in the DSO Young Artists Program.
For the DSO, that connection with the next generation is an important part of its role as the Territory’s orchestra.
“The DSO is excited to make music for the families of Palmerston. Our visit is a signature event in our calendar,” Mills says.
And perhaps that is the real appeal of taking the orchestra beyond the traditional concert hall. Classical music can sometimes feel intimidating to newcomers, but put a symphony orchestra inside a local recreation centre and suddenly the experience becomes something much more accessible.
There is also something wonderfully Territory about it. The DSO brings some of the great works of the orchestral canon to Palmerston, while creating an environment where seasoned classical music lovers can sit alongside people experiencing their first symphony.
It is music without the barriers. It is also a reminder that orchestral music belongs to everyone – not just those who already know their Mozart from their Rimsky-Korsakov.
With weekend packages available, audiences can make a full event of it – enjoy dinner in Palmerston before Friday night’s performance, settle in for an evening of orchestral favourites, then return on Saturday morning for a very different kind of musical adventure with the family.
If you’ve never experienced a symphony orchestra from the middle of a basketball court, this could be the perfect time to give it a go.
Palmerston Classics
WHEN FRI 9 OCT | 7.30PM
COST $15
Palmerston Family Proms
WHEN SAT 10 OCT | 10AM
COST $15 | FREE CHILDREN UNDER 2
AT PALMERSTON RECREATION CENTRE
INFO dso.org.au
