Music for everyone

Avondale Conservatorium launches its 2024 concert series

Two musicals—a world premiere and a Broadway hit—and a pianist who toured as vocalist with a Grammy-winning group highlight our 2024 concert series.

The series begins next week (March 23) with an Evensong performance by Brisbane Adventist College String Ensemble and Avondale String Orchestra. Called Simply Strings, the concert will feature at least one collaborative item and plenty of young musicianship. Playing as members of the college ensemble will be alum who are now students at Avondale University.

Remember the Easter story in a new way with a musical experience telling a revolutionary story of love, compassion and mercy. Weaving powerful lyrics from popular worship songs with an original script, Forever: An Easter Story gives voice to Bible characters grappling with their humanity and the transformative power of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The world premiere, presented by Avondale University Church and the Seventh-day Adventist churches in Cooranbong with Avondale Conservatorium, is on Good Friday (March 29) and Easter Saturday (March 30).

This is new! An open rehearsal with our jazz ensemble (May 8) will give you an opportunity to learn how music is made (and, perhaps, to even make music yourself). Go behind the songs as director David Pudney leads the ensemble in this intimate, interactive and interesting “practice.”

An overseas artist, Dr Wayne Bucknor, brings his passion for piano to an Evensong with vocal ensemble The Promise (May 19) as a follow-up to a Sing Praise concert at Wahroonga Seventh-day Adventist Church the evening before. Wayne is Chair of the Music Department at Oakwood University (Huntsville, Alabama, USA) and has toured as a vocalist with Grammy-winning group Take 6.

A Johannes Brahms concerto and Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahler feature in a performance (June 1) by students John Duncan and Ian Fisher. John’s violin solo is the first of his Master of Philosophy recitals. As a former member of Opera Australia, Ian is a bass solo master. Avondale Chamber Orchestra will provide backing.

Our Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ will take centre stage in a church purpose-built for organ music as Reverend Brendon Lukin’s recital (June 22) closes the semester. Brendon is a chaplain in training for the Australian Defence Force.

A performance of gospel music with a touch of country opens semester two. Alumnus Dr Rick Ferret and friends, including Covenant Quartet, will play and sing some of your favourite songs. The concert (August 24) anchors Homecoming, the largest Avondale Alumni event of the year.

The biggest event of the year will be a production of the classic—and popular—Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe musical My Fair Lady. A cast of 20 and a choir and orchestra of 40, directed by alumna Sarah Morton and Avondale Conservatorium Director Dr Aleta King, will bring George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion to the stage over three performances (October 25-27).

The Newcastle Wind and Avondale String Orchestras will perform an Australian premiere of Jacob Cummins’ Battle of Tower suite along with John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in a concert on November 9.

The final concert in our series ends with The Thrift Honours (December 11), an annual celebration of conservatorium graduands, high distinction recital and prize-winning students, and scholarship recipients.

“The series promises a wide variety of genres and styles,” says Aleta. “It has something for everyone.” She encourages you to attend at least one event. “Experiencing live music is good for you. It’s a holistic health workout that can give a physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual boost. And it’s right here on campus.”