Orchestra aims to educate young

KATINA CURTIS

THE Wollongong Bluescope Youth Orchestra is returning to Gerringong to perform a concert designed to stimulate young people’s interest in music.

The Gerringong Music Club’s musical director, Gem Buck, said the club had decided to host an orchestral concert especially for children.

She said the concert would start with a walk through of the orchestra, where each instrument was introduced so the audience could hear its sound.

Mrs Buck said the program would include well-known classical music such as The Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, as well as Australian folk music and jigs and reels arranged by the orchestra’s conductor, Nigel Edwards.

“It is finishing with the type of things they have at the proms in England, including the Radetzky March that they can all clap along to and Pomp and Circumstance by Elgar when they can sing Land of Hope and Glory,” Mrs Buck said.

The performance will feature solos by trumpeter Matther Bergner, bassoonist Jeremy Virssen and pianist Thomas Edwards.

Mrs Buck said Kiama Council had given the club a grant of $600 for the concert, which meant entry would be free for children and members of the Gerringong Music Club and adults could get tickets for just $10.

“Adults who don’t know very much about orchestras should come too because they can learn a lot and it will be a great concert,” Mrs Buck said. “There will be tickets at the door but you should come early because we think we’ll have a great crowd.”

The Wollongong Bluescope Youth Orchestra performs at Gerringong Town Hall from 2pm on Saturday (May 18).