On a sunny autumn afternoon we found ourselves in an elegant terrace on Boyce road Glebe. We came for a recital by a duo of Cello and Violin ..in a Salon.
Concerts via the forum of a salon make listening to music special. One does not feel part of an audience such as being in a concert hall…but rather in a small personal space amongst friends listening to music . Ensemble Offspring holds these events a few times a year. You should watch out for them.They are terrific. In this case there was an additional bonus. At the end we were treated to a beautiful spread of Mediterranean hors d’oevres and sweets .Rowlee Vineyards from Orange provided seriously good champagne and wines .There was also the opportunity to meet with the fellow attendees which was most enjoyable.
The soloists..Veronique Serret and Blair Harris are top echelon professionals. Like all great musicians Serret’s playing was bold and courageous in attack, sweet and sublime in the pianissima. In the program of ten works was Holly Harrison’s Ice Giant (2023). Harrison is an Australian from Western Sydney. She is a prolific and internationally sought after composer. An Ice Giant is one of the largest planets in the nether regions of the solar system. They have a dense icy outer crust made of ammonia water and methane and they are HUGE. Imagine coming face to face with an Ice Giant. How would you write about it musically? Holly Harrison did and the result is amazing. A complex and difficult work executed with verve and precision by Ms Serret.
Her cellist partner Blair Harris was equal to the occasion, particularly in Kate Moore’s “Song of Ropes” (2017) for a solo Cello. Moore is another highly acclaimed Australian living abroad, this time in the Netherlands. Imagine a rope. Its sinewy strands enveloping each other. Imagine its length..sometimes long and forever. At other times a short and curt. Coiled and lazy. At times taut and tense. This is a multi dimensional work which Harris’ performance captured to perfection.
Ensemble Offspring is the quiet achiever on the Australian Musical Landscape. It has quite extensive endowments. It has promoted, nurtured and commissioned Australian music for over 30 years, both at here and abroad. Its innovative and lateral approach is exhibited in its choosing as one of its forums, the Salon.
It deserves our strong support.
Photography by Jared Underwood
