Mark Walton OAM is soloist in the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major with the orchestra this November. He is a noted soloist, composer and educator who has published over 200 teaching publications. His established education programs have reached rural and remote areas throughout Australia, pioneering special video conferencing sessions and running numerous workshops and master classes. Born in Christchurch his career has included Director of Christchurch School of Music, and Chair of Woodwind at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 2012 Walton taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Khabul. The orchestra welcomes Mark Walton as the featured soloist this year.
The large work on the program is The Enigma Variations of Sir Edward Elgar, containing an unsolved puzzle- where is the main theme that Elgar claimed is never played. The opening motif is a counter melody to this unknown theme, but it surely refers to Elgar himself in its rhythm of short short long long. There are 14 Variations each referring to a named friend or family member- “ to my friends pictured within”. This work made Elgar an international composer of renown, and is a tour de force for the orchestra with many fine solos( listen for the contra bassoon.)
The brass section are featured in the Overture to The Light Cavalry, a Viennese Operetta written by Von Suppe in 1866. Familiar in many movies, there is not a better opening to a concert.
The five Pomp & Circumstance Marches opus 39 written by Elgar are named after a quote from Shakespeare’s Othello-“pride, pomp & circumstance of glorious war “. The fourth is dedicated to the organist of Hereford Cathedral, Dr. G. Robertson Sinclair. Elgar first conducted it at the Queen’s Hall London in 1907. The Enigma Variation no X1 is also a tribute to Robertson Sinclair- or actually his large bull dog Dan, who fell into the river Wye ( and got out!). The militaristic themes of the Marches of Pomp & Circumstance has given way over the years to a splendid English nationalism & pride.
The concert is conducted by English born Christopher Bearman OAM now a proud Aussie. Please enjoy your Philharmonic Orchestra. Lake Macquarie City Council are major sponsors of this event.
Please note that booking through sticky tickets will incur a small fee, which is not included in the ticket price listed on the poster.