Last night, the full QSO enticed us into a world rarely exposed in public. It was a deeply personal and controlled performance. The QSO gave a light touch to profound emotions.
And it returned us to our individual worlds quietly, gently and safely as the public display of emotion scaled back. First, the percussion section disappeared into darkness. Then the horns and other brass faded into the distance. The woodwinds disappeared before our eyes, as did the eight double basses and two harps, then the other strings. And the music became lighter and barely perceptible. Finally, the conductor, Umberto Clerici, turned, bowed and the lights went out.
The applause was sustained. The players were rightly overjoyed that they had given the performance of their lives. And the audience was grateful.
I was left with the understanding that 90-100 people are living among us, many in West End and its surrounds, who can play Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. They are ordinary people who shop locally, send their children to local schools, and eat at local restaurants. And they can make beautiful music. They are a blessing.
While Mahler and his music are very European, he wrote it during the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the Ninth Symphony speaks to all humans as we experience the ups and downs of life.
The Orchestra was impeccable in their black frocks and tails and white bow ties. They prove that Australia is a place to experience the best of cultures from across the planet. Last night was but one example.
And to prove the local roots of the QSO, two members retired last night after decades of playing music for us. Nicky Tomkin has lived among us, earning a living playing viola with the QSO for over 28 years. He’s off on a sabbatical to Europe. Alan Smith is a violinist whose roles with the QSO have included Concertmaster, also retired. He first got a job at the QSO in 1985, forty years ago, and he and his wife have made a career playing music for forty years.
The QSO is a local institution of which we can be very proud. In a world of genocide and brutality, the QSO creates safe places to visit and connect with the best of humanity.
Kerry McGovern
Image credits to Curtis Brownjohn
