The soaring sounds of Strauss, Britten, and contemporary composers will fill Sandgate Town Hall this month during Soundscape and Stories, a one-day festival experience.
Presented by Ensemble Q, the event includes three concerts at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, plus a composer conversation, all designed to immerse audiences in musical storytelling.
Trish Dean, co-artistic director and cellist of Ensemble Q, said they were hoping people who have never been to a classical concert would enjoy attending the one-day festival as much as their dearest fans.
“We are great lovers of the music festival concept, of offering people the chance to immerse themselves in great music for a period of time that allows them to journey through performances and programmatic ideas linked by social interaction and a special venue,” Trish said.
“The format is the key to this concept – each concert lasts no longer than an hour, and each listening experience will be very relaxed and unusual – so you’ll find the audience encircled by singers, the brave taking part in playing whirlies along with me on my cello, musicians sitting within the audience and giving people the experience that we have as musicians in an orchestra, being part of the collective sound.”
Performances, Lineup, and Community Connection
The day’s lineup includes The Australian Voices, Ensemble Cherubim, a string quartet from the Queensland Conservatorium, Mini Q, and Ensemble Q, plus composers Joe Twist, Melody Eötvös, Paul Dean, and young emerging composers.
“A couple of the pieces will involve a four-tiered mentorship component, which basically means that the four youngest players on stage will be experiencing the most exciting moment of their musical lives so far,” Trish said.
Concert One features Joe Twist’s Lament for Cello and Choir, performed by Trish and The Australian Voices. Between movements of a string trio by Melody Eötvös, the choir will perform while moving around the audience.
“I think that will be a spine-tingling moment of the day,” Trish said.
Concert Three offers optional sensory components, where audience members will be able to sit wearing blindfolds and listen to the Strauss Metamorphosen.
According to Trish, nothing is more beautiful or acoustically attractive than “the old town hall”.
“We love the community atmosphere around Sandgate,” she said. “It always seems to be sunny and friendly there and the local cultural scene is fantastic, so we’re excited to play for the local community as well as some of our very faithful Ensemble Q audience members.” For tickets, go to www.ensembleqaustralia.com/onedayfestival
Soundscapes & Stories: A One Day Festival
- Saturday, 27 September, 11am-4pm
- Sandgate Town Hall
- Cliff and Seymour Streets, Sandgate
Read more stories from the Sandgate Guide print magazine here:
- Bramble Buzz: Updates from the Community
- Podcast Review: How Did This Get Made?
- Watch Out for Tech Support Scams
- Organic Gardening in September
- Art Hits the Sand in SWELL Style Again
- Learn to Create Your Own Art for Heart’s Sake
- Brighton Bowls Club Celebrates 75th Anniversary
- Sandgate’s Sandwich Scene Gets a Tasty Filling
- Family that Creates Together, Stays Together
- Cabbage Tree Creek: Tales of a Waterway (Part 1)
- Help Hudson’s Wishes Come True
- KSBA Einbunpin Reflections
- Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie
- Surf’s Up At School’s Out On The Green
- Save the Date for the Shorncliffe State School Fete
- Young Readers Rewarded
- How Young People Can Engage Positively with Social Media
