Parlour performance path to the past

THE rooms and halls at Ballarat Trades Hall will reverberate with songs from a bygone era later this month.

From 2pm on Sunday, 24 April, pianist Joe Bourke, violinist Peter O’Shea, and vocalist Darryl Emmerson will take to the stage to perform a one-off concert titled Ballarat 1895: a Concert of Parlour Music.

Many of the songs were selected from The Parlour Song Book and Emmerson said the performance will tie into the city’s cultural heritage.

“I have noticed up here there’s quite a lot of music and art and writing of the past. This city seems to have established quite a strong cultural tradition so we’re wanting to explore that,” he said.

“With parlour music, people would get together in a sitting room, play the piano and sing together either solo or duet or harmonies. We’re wanting to capture what that was like within that historical context.

“They’re really beautiful and strong songs. The melodies are very clear, and I’m hoping the audience will sing along for some of them. It’s very friendly, heart-warming music.”

Initially planned during 2020, the show will be the trio’s first live show in almost four years, having last played together for their 2018 concert Statues Alive.

Genres will vary from vaudeville to folk and semi-classical across both instrumental and sung pieces, with an emphasis on the format of the music.

Emmerson said the concert will also serve as a “special occasion” in celebration of eased restrictions.

“I think people are feeling a bit more confident in going out again, and so this concert is somewhat a part of that feeling,” he said.

“There’s a certain camaraderie with this type of performance we’d like to carry across to the audience. It’s going to be a good day, I reckon.”

Tickets are $25 with concession at $20, and bookings can be made via bit.ly/3NL8WGL.