Orchestra visit breaks ice
ROB KNOWLES
RICHMOND House in Port Alfred was the host to a full orchestra when the Somerset College band from the Western Cape performed on Sunday afternoon.
With a number of activities already underway throughout town, only around a dozen locals managed to attend the free concert. However, the audience was bolstered by the staff and teachers from Somerset College.
"It is a pity so few people managed to attend,” said Sue Gordon who helped to host the event. "Although it is not part of our Classics at the Castle programme, we are very pleased to have the college playing here.
"It is interesting that this is the first time a full orchestra has played in Richmond House even though, in years past, the building was used for entertaining dignitaries from all over the area.”
| THE BAND'S ALL HERE: The members of the 19-piece Somerset College band that performed a free concert at Richmond House, Port Alfred, on Sunday afternoon. At the centre (front row, fourth from left) is head of performance for this musical tour Anjulie Nock, with the school's head of music (front row, far right) Simon Chapman Picture: ROB KNOWLES |
However, the most outstanding piece of the afternoon was Gabriel's Oboe from the movie The Mission which was haunting and beautifully played by the pupils.
Head of performance at the school, Anjulie Nock, said that she and her fellow staff and pupils undertook a tour each year and, this year, had been entertaining the Eastern Cape.
"This is a very beautiful area to visit,” she told the audience, "and we have had great support from the people here.”
The school toured with two jazz bands as well as the orchestra and visited Kingswood College in Grahamstown last Friday evening as well as playing at the Bathurst Arms on Saturday afternoon.
The orchestra was scheduled to travel back to Grahamstown on Sunday evening where they were to perform at the school's mass, accompanied by selected Kingswood musicians.
Nock said they would like to tour the Eastern Cape again some time in the future.
"It is unusual for the teaching staff to all say they enjoyed a school tour, but that is exactly the case in this tour of the Eastern Cape,” she said.
