Orchestra celebrates 135th anniversary

Doreen Premdev|Published 1 year ago

Durban City Orchestra will perform an intimate afternoon concert to celebrate being in the industry for more than a century.

The Durban City Orchestra (DCO) formed in 1888, as part of the Durban Philharmonic Society is still as popular as ever.

To celebrate its 135th anniversary, the orchestra will host an intimate afternoon concert of classic and romantic pieces to show appreciation to the many who have supported the DCO over the years.

The orchestra has a complement of 30 active members who get together weekly, and among them are two accomplished professional musicians - Charl van der Merwe as resident conductor and Jitske Brien as concert master.

The programme comprises three pieces along the themes of protest, passion and puzzlement.

Protest: Finlandia is a symphonic, tone poem by Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. It was written for the Press Celebrations of 1899 to protest the increasing censorship of the media controlled by tsarist Russia.

Passion: François Borne’s Fantasie Brillante on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen (based on the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet) is his most famous composition. Borne’s setting of Carmen’s luscious melodies, combine a deep understanding of the flute (he was a flautist, French composer, flute maker and flute professor) with a flair for the distinctive Habanera dance rhythms and passionate colours of the opera. His interpretation is far brighter and more cheerful than Bizet’s original.

Soloist Nolwazi Nkwanyana is a cadet member of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and a music student at Unisa.

The soloist performing this work will be Nolwazi Nkwanyana, who is a cadet member of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and a music student studying through UNISA under the tutelage of Sabina Baird, she is principal flute with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.

Puzzlement: Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony is among the most popular works of the prolific and accomplished composer. It is one of the iconic pieces of the late classical, early romantic period and was dubbed great and strange with uncharacteristic fearlessness and directness. It’s a mystery as to why this piece was never finished.

The concerts will be held on Sunday July 23 at 2.30pm at St Agnes Church, 53 Abelia Road, Kloof and Thursday August 6 at 2.30pm at the St Thomas Church, Musgrave. Book at Computicket.