BY KIYA VAN DER LINDEN-KIAN
Music in the Round
Abbotsford Convent, 8 September
The stunning Abbotsford Convent always holds new and exciting spaces for performers and artists, a feature its key festival Music in the Round takes full advantage of. Highlighting Australian and female composers in its 2019 program, as well as the newly restored and opened North Magdalen Laundry, the one-day festival included performances from Ensemble Liaison, prodigy violinist Edward Walton, classical accordion player James Crabb (more about him later), violinist Elizabeth Sellars, violist Chris Cartlidge, cellist Chris Howlett, pianist Aura Go, soprano Jaqueline Porter and pianist Ian Munro.
The day kicked off with a diverse program of jazz and classical fusion works performed by Ensemble Liaison. With a world premiere performance of Australian composer Nicholas Marks’ Desaparecido (which they’d commissioned), the highly experienced Ensemble Liaison trio played with precision and a lot of character, though at times it felt as if there was a lack of engagement from the players in some of the pieces.
From there, until the final concert, audiences were given the option of attending one of two concerts. I chose to watch 13-year-old violin prodigy Edward Walton. Freshly back from winning competitions in Europe, Edward delivered a varied and highly virtuosic program. Phenomenally performed, particularly in Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy, the young Australian star will be one to watch in the future.
I then, somewhat tentatively, chose to attend James Crabb’s performance – and was absolutely blown away. If you were like me, and living in ignorance about the accordion, Crabb is certainly the one to educate you otherwise. The Scottish classical accordion player delivered a charismatic, solo one-hour performance in which he demonstrated his extraordinary technical and musical virtuosity and the capabilities of the instrument. With a diverse program from the French Classical Ramaeu to the avant-garde American Zorn, and even a selection from Australian composer Gordon Hamilton, Crabb took us through a crash course in accordion history and technique.
For the final concert of the day, we were back in the historically charming North Magdalen Laundry room for a closing performance by soprano Jaqueline Porter and pianist Ian Munro. Choosing to highlight Victorian composer Calvin Bowman, the program also included some more standard repertoire from Schubert, Schumann, and Mozart.
As a package, Music in the Round provided a nice retreat from the craziness that can be Melbourne city life. From 9-5, we were surrounded by the beautiful Abbotsford Convent and treated to delicious pastries, lunch (all served with biodegradable utensils), tea and coffee, and a full day of great music, all included in the ticket price.
Images supplied.
