Studio Sessions

We were lucky to see the QSO perform in their studio for the first time in 2022 – given that their instruments were stuck in a storage room and couldn't be accessed due to the recent flooding in Brisbane. So, the musicians had to beg, borrow and steal replacements and fast-track their rehearsal time to only one week! That did not alter the top notch musicianship on display in the intimate space of the studio in the ABC's building on South Bank – which rises up an incline just enough to have missed the damage caused by the rising river.

I really enjoy these Studio Sessions because it's a relaxed setting that showcases sections of the orchestra usually out of sight in the Concert Hall space – and the musicians get to choose the repertoire and the musicians they play with. In this case, we were treated to members of the horn section – Lauren Manuel on the French horn; Rainer Saville and Richard Madden on trumpets; Ashley Carter on trombone; and Thomas Allely on the magnificent tuba – with four excellent percussionists: Section Principal Percussionist, David Montgomery, with Jacob Enoka, Angus Wilson and Mary Broughton. The array of instruments employed was impressive – from tiny chimes to marimbas, a full rock drum kit and a metal thunder sheet for a very special final number!

But first was a sweet piece, 'Perseverance' by former QSO performer, Callum Kennedy, highlighting the lilting quality of the horns. Then a lively piece for percussion by David Montgomery – a talented composer as well as percussionist extraordinaire – performed to perfection with co-percussionist, Jacob Enoka. A modern piece by US composer Michael Tilson Thomas (Artistic Director, New World Symphony) 'Street Song' followed – and it was exactly that: an incredibly astute piece that clearly evoked images of a busy street, including exhausted musicians emerging from the subway after the late-night gig. The horn section's ability to punctuate a palette of lively tones was definitely the showcase here. The all-percussive 'Bulgarian Dances' were written by Hungarian composer and folk music enthusiast, Béla Viktor János Bartók, as teaching pieces for his son. The QSO's David Montgomery composed his own responses to the six pieces and this kept the whole percussion team very busy in an enthralling and energetic performance, featuring the full range of percussion instruments.

The tuba triumphed in the final piece, Marc Satterwhite's 'And What Rough Beast...?' the Texan composer's riff on Yeats's poem, 'The Second Coming'. This was a cinematic piece, reminiscent of John Williams's work on TV's 'Land of the Giants', with Thomas Allely on tuba working with David Montgomery on a range of drums. The piece fittingly ended with audience participation where, during a lighting blackout as the tuba crescendoed announcing the arrival of the unseen 'beast', we were encouraged to scream loudly as the percussionists took to the stage and hit several gongs and, finally, the roaring thunder sheet! The crowd of all ages thoroughly enjoyed the repertoire and were eager for an encore.

Once again, the QSO's Studio Session has introduced me to some wonderful new music, new favourite composers, and brilliant musicians. Let's hope the performances continue to abound as the 2022 season finally gets underway.

Find out about upcoming gigs: https://www.qso.com.au

Beth Keehn

Images: Lauren Manuel, & David Montgomery and Jacob Enoka. Photographer: Peter Wallis