By Felicity Woodhill, founder of the Emerging Artist Concert Series, with photography thanks to Caligari Photography.
BIRTH & REBIRTH: The Spark of Life from the Renaissance to the Present Day
Music and Tea at the Gallery on December 7, 2023
A magical concert ended the Emerging Artist Concert Series for 2023. While our artists are young, their accomplishments always seem beyond their years, which was strikingly so for the year's final concert held in the BlueScope Gallery at Wollongong Art Gallery.
Paul Nicolaou (harp/composer), Sarah Zhu (viola) and James Monro (cello/composer) brought to life the program's theme, "The Spark of Life from the Renaissance to the Present Day'. Their sensitive and joyful performance captivated the audience. The premiere of new compositions – Saturated Reflection' by Monro and Of Light, Divided by Nicolaou – brought the spirit and ideas of youth to the audience.
Also, through skilful arranging, Nicolaou enabled the trio to present lesser-known works from across the centuries, bound together by the concept of birth and rebirth. Generating new compositions and arranging works has been an exciting development for the Emerging Artist Concert Series.
A celebration of the eternal quest for renewal through music and a generous sharing of the stories informing the music created a memorable program.
Nicolaou shared a transformation in Elena Kats-Chernin's composing style in response to a family experience, a story that amplified music's healing powers. Her piece, Blue Silence, was "for Matthew and Others", dedicated to parents of children with schizophrenia.
Sophisticated in concept, with meditative soundscapes rich with melody and harmony, this music took the audience on a journey of hope and beauty.
Our very young audience took to the stage
Planet Child Care has attended Music and Tea Concerts every month since its inception in August 2022. We invited the children to perform two songs to open the program. Before singing, they offered an 'Acknowledgement to Country' through words, mime and storytelling. It was a moving Acknowledgement, clearly intended to connect the children to place and country and create awareness and respect for the First Nations people as part of their cultural learning.
The children's participation as an audience delights older attendees, who often comment on their capacity to engage with the music. Offered relaxed seating, a rug and cushions on the floor, the children can lie or sit to listen and may move gently to the music. The children's attendance offers them an immersive introduction to the joy of listening to music and creates indirect learning in the art of listening and concentration.
All children are welcome at the concerts.
Connecting with visual artists
Our photographic journal of the concerts captures people looking at and talking about artworks on display in the BlueScope Gallery at Wollongong Art Gallery.
Art and music, while different in form, often move in parallel with each other and history; both share the capacity to touch emotions, tell stories and open perspectives on our engagement with different moments in time. For this reason, we use original artwork connected to the music for program designs.
For our December program, visual artist Shining Rainbow created the promotional design and program cover; she combined original ink drawings with layered photo images. Forging interaction and dialogue between contemporary visual artists and our musicians is a goal of the program. In 2024, we will look at the development of portrait drawings of artists and audiences in addition to our photographic images.
Chelsea Caligari's images of the concerts capture the atmosphere of connectivity at the performances. Chelsea's passion for live music and photographing musicians in action led her to approach us, offering her services at a reduced rate. We are grateful for her work and sensitive, unobtrusive approach. Through her work, the beauty of the hand is ever present. The dancing hands of musicians, the weathered hands of older generations, the hands of friends embracing, hands reaching for nourishment and transcending the spoken words.
Partnering with Wollongong Art Gallery
The Emerging Artist Concert Series has been made possible through the generous partnership with Wollongong Art Gallery and Wollongong Council, who provide the venue and print the promotional material and programs. The Gallery staff's enthusiastic support for the concert and assistance is deeply appreciated as is the printery which produces flyers and programs beyond what a grassroots program could deliver.
Should concerts ever be free?
In the current financial times, this is a challenging question.
Good music, whatever the genre, is always a gift, given and received, whether the artist is paid or performs free.
The value of a city offering a regular free concert accessible to all within the community has great merit, as there will always be people for whom the ticket price is prohibitive. A free concert can invite you to discover something new, to 'try before you buy', and connect with a new community. As a tourist in foreign countries, I often remember seeking free concerts.
The 2023 Emerging Concert Artists have delivered exceptional performances reflecting thousands of hours of work over many years. To nurture our next generation of dedicated and passionate musicians, we must pay them adequately and create live performance opportunities.
Donate what you can …
We greatly appreciate the generosity of all those who contribute each month; it makes a big difference. Thank you. The principle of ' donate what you can...' benefits the musicians and the community by ensuring live music is accessible to all.