Gippsland flora and fauna to be brought to life through music

Art certainly does imitate life, and the Gippsland Symphony Orchestra will prove this when it premieres two locally inspired works in Korumburra.

The concert, titled ‘Perform-HER’, will be held at St Joseph’s Church on Sunday, August 2, and will showcase female composers and soloists from across the Gippsland region.

At the heart of the program will be the first-ever public performance of ‘Dawn Chorus’ by Hannah Comrie-Weston and the new orchestral version of ‘Grand Ridge’ by Seaview composer Alisha Redmond.

Both of these works were specifically written for the Gippsland Symphony Orchestra, and each of the pieces is imbued with characteristics of Gippsland, designed to celebrate and emphasise the region’s landscapes and wildlife.

Conductor David Williams said the orchestra makes a point of supporting composers as they develop their craft.

“Both pieces are musical representations of the majesty of Gippsland and their individual reflections,” he said.

Mr Williams first became aware of Redmond’s work after she sent him a piece she had written several years earlier.

“Although we haven’t played that particular piece, I was impressed with her musicality and thought, when the time was right, we’d get her to do something for the GSO,” he said.

Comrie-Weston, on the other hand, he met while working on a production of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, where they shared a conversation about composing for the orchestra that sparked her involvement.

‘Dawn Chorus’ was written to capture the stillness immediately before sunrise and the moment birds begin calling.

“Hannah has notated the bird calls and incorporated them into the piece,” Mr Williams said.

“It starts with the strings playing long, sustained notes very quietly, and then the bird calls break through the stillness.”

The piece ‘Grand Ridge’ is a tribute to the road and surrounding countryside near Redmond’s Seaview home, and it uses shifting sounds to evoke an image of the rolling hills and uneven landscape that appear frequently in our region.

“It’s truly an honour to be conducting these pieces in their first public performance,” Mr Williams said.

The Perform-HER program will also place two long-serving orchestra members firmly in the spotlight.

Wonthaggi-based flute player Beth Frank will perform Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, while Katarina Yalizis will present her first viola concerto with the orchestra.

Frank has been part of the GSO since its inception and is also the vice president, while Yalizis joined about a decade ago while she was still at school, and now also conducts the Gippsland Symphony Youth Orchestra.

“Both ladies deserve a spotlight on them for their commitment and contribution to the GSO, but also because they are exceptional musicians,” Mr Williams said.

“We wanted to give Hannah and Alisha a place to shine and let the communities of Gippsland know they are around and what great work they are doing,” he said.

The concert will begin at 2pm.

Tickets will be available at the door for $20 and refreshments will be served afterwards.