<<<  <<  -- 6 --  Gillian Wills    FORTUNE SMILES

Big, Bold and Beautiful on Sunday 19 August was another stunning presentation. Bach's Brandenberg Concerto No 3, said to have influenced Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks -- also on the program -- was colorful and rhythmically buoyant. Hearing both these works together was a treat and sharply highlighted the connections between the pieces.

Andrew Ford's The Unquiet Grave also made a strong impact. Patricia Pollett was the viola soloist in this intense atmospheric work. Apparently, the composition was triggered by a poem that describes a husband's inability to accept his wife's death. He repeatedly visits her grave until she appears in ghostly form imploring him to let her rest in peace. Pollett was authoritative and exploited the eerie musical gestures with considerable poise. The spellbound audience was deeply moved by her poignant realization of a folk tune that represented the wife.

This year's Bangalow Festival illustrates once again how cultural events can flourish in interesting rural settings.