Review: Master Works

Lyndelle Lawrence
Public relations arts writer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

The 65-member Colorado Springs Youth Symphony performed in a free Master Works concert at Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church on June 8 as part of a 20-day tour of Australia.

The orchestra, formed in 1980, earned credibility by winning the “Full Orchestra” category at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, in 2000. Credit for this goes to Gary Nicholson, one of the founders, who has remained the orchestra’s only music director and conductor.

As a fitting introduction to its performance at Avondale, the orchestra performed Aaron Copland’s “Hoe Down” from Rodeo to highlight American music. Copland called this a “cowboy ballet,” and the orchestra did no less than portray the Wild West and the galloping of horses.

Moving from ballet to program music, the orchestra performed movements one, four, and five of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. These were perhaps the most technically demanding pieces of the concert, but the orchestra still effectively told the stories contained in the music.

As an encore, the orchestra performed “Galop” from Dmitri Kabalevsky’s The Comedians, but with a twist—blindfolded. Credit: Ann Stafford.

Included in the repertoire were two pieces of “movie music” by John Williams, “Duel of the Fates” and “Battle of the Heroes” from Star Wars. The pieces, with driving rhythms and motifs, would have appealed to fans and those with only a passing interest in the franchise.

The concert impressed me. Although there were minor synchronisation and intonation issues and room for dynamic contrast, the high level of performance, mastery of techniques, sensitivity and mature musicality from young performers outweighed these difficulties.

As an encore, the orchestra performed “Galop” from Dmitri Kabalevsky’s The Comedians, but with a twist—blindfolded. Every member of the orchestra, Gary included, covered their eyes. The piece featured a xylophone soloist who, despite the impediment, struck the bars with precision.

A collaboration toward the end of the concert between the orchestra and Avondale College vocal ensemble Avondale Singers—the two groups performed “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic”—gave credence to the orchestra’s motto, “Through music we are one.”