Massed orchestral for Durban
Musicians invited to play in ad hoc orchestra on Sunday
Stand by for the Corobrik Orchestra 2014 concert, a major event on Durban’s music calendar presented by the British Cultural and Heritage Association.
Sunday August 17 is a red-letter date to diarize for musicians and music-lovers in and around Durban: the British Cultural and Heritage Association (BCHA) present an exciting programme of music-making in their eagerly awaited Corobrik Orchestra 2014 project.
This will see a massed ad hoc orchestra performing under the baton of South African maestro, Richard Cock, for many years a leading role-player on our national music scene. The annual event includes the participation of the Steel Drum and Field Band Foundations.
Corobrik Orchestra 2014 takes place in the Joosub Hall on the Westville Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal from 2.30pm. Preceding this, a massed orchestra rehearsal will be held between 11am and 2pm.
As a curtain-raiser to the Main Concert, members of the Field Band Foundation will show their paces between 2.30pm and 2.50pm, followed by a 20-minute performance by the Steel Drum Foundation from 3pm.
The Main Concert which runs from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, would open with the South African National Anthem and includes the thrilling opening sequence to Richard Strauss’s famous orchestral show-piece, Sprach Zarathustra; Alford’s ever-green Colonel Bogey March; Franz Lehar’s Gold and Silver Waltz; the much-loved Nimrod from Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations; a Tribute To Henry Mancini; and Carillon from Georges Bizet’s L’arlesienne Suite.
This will be followed by performances of three popular items, YMCA, No Matter What and Sole mio, with the Steel Drums. The programme concludes with performances of Washington Post and Shosholoza.
All participants must be able to read and play music. They are required to pay an entry fee of R60, and to register to play either as individuals of as part of a group.
Each musician will be issued with a complimentary ticket for a family member or friend to attend the event. Participants are encouraged to be as conversant as possible with the prescribed music, to ensure that the concert will be an amazing experience if everyone performs at their best, and delivers a successful team effort.
Says conductor Cock, the mastermind behind the project: “This annual event offers an opportunity for aspirant musicians to gain an idea of what it is like to play in an orchestra.
“Even though they don’t have professional experience, it is amazing how things come together with just one intensive rehearsal session.
To register to play in Corobrik Orchestra 2014, call 031-2026174 or email bcha1820@global.co.za. Secure parking is available for participants and audiences members alike. Seating is unreserved and tickets will be sold at the door, R70 (adults), R50 (pensioners, students and children).
