Music for all ears

By Meg Kennedy

Children and those young at heart gathered at the Bacchus Marsh Town Hall to farewell exiting Musical Director Barry Wilkins at the Moorabool Light Orchestra’s (MLO) Young People’s Concert last month.

With more than 350 attendees present on Sunday, 15 September, including many young people, home-made instruments allowed children to play along with the orchestra.

Mr Wilkins said the two major works of the show, ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and ‘Carnival of the Animals’ were “very popular with all ages, and Jon Faine was a firm favourite for the day, with his excellent narration of the pieces.”

“A highlight of the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ work was the piano duo with orchestra throughout the whole piece, performed by local identity Jeff Moran and he was joined by one of Australia’s finest young concert pianist Konrad Olszewski,” he said.

The program also included the newly formed Bacchus Marsh Vocal Ensemble, directed by Catherine Clarke-Jones, which performed for the first time at the concert.

Mr Wilkins said the ensemble was “a welcome addition to the program, entertaining the audience with their three musical numbers.”

“The finale to the program was a hoot – with all the young people, plus their parents and grandparents coming out front and joining with the orchestra with their instruments, performing ‘William Tell Overture’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘1812 Overture’ and ‘Instant Concert’.”

The MLO’s next event will be ‘Christmas in the Park’ at Underbank Park on Sunday 8 December from 6pm-9pm.

Further details will be released shortly.

For more information, visit www.moorabool-light-orchestra.com.