The Adelaide Baroque Orchestral Series Performs FORCES OF NATURE: A FRENCH ENCOUNTER

The Adelaide Baroque Orchestral Series for 2022 begins with a focus on the French baroque repertoire in a concert entitled Forces of Nature: A French Encounter.

The concert will be performed on Saturday 21 May at 7.30pm in Elder Hall with a regional repeat performance on Sunday 22 May at 3.00pm in St Andrew's Uniting Church, 10 Alfred Place, Strathalbyn. The concert will feature composer Padma Newsome's world premiere work for the ABO entitled The French Violin, inspired by an old French violin that came to survive the force of the Australian bushfires of 2020. Featured artists include soprano Kate MacFarlane and Ben Dollman (program curator) on violin with the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra.

Padma Newsome (pictured above), a Mallacoota (VIC) resident, composer, performer, and community recovery worker, created The French Violin in response to the 2019 - 2020 Australian bushfires. Living on the edge of the fire ravaged Karbeethong forest Padma was fortunate not to lose his home. Friends living just 400 metres away lost theirs but had entrusted a bundle of broken violins to Padma, which including one made by Didier Nicolas, c. 1820, from Mirecourt, the French 'capital of violin making'. It was in need of loving restoration, and there just happened to be a luthier staying down the road.

Padma says, 'The most beautiful thing is the luthier got this fiddle [The French Violin] up and running. Now it's not a fantastic violin, but it's got a very particular character. My composition, The French Violin will be more about storytelling, rather than the direct translation of how the instrument sounds, or a direct representation of the post-fire landscape. I'm thinking of bringing the Didier violin to Adelaide, providing it can fit on the small plane and won't have to be thrown into the hold! I think I'll be able to bring it over... if not to play, but to show.'

Padma Newsome studied composition at the Elder Conservatorium in the 90s, then continued postgraduate studies at Yale as a Fulbright Scholar, where he formed the ensemble Clogs. He toured the world for many years before settling in Mallacoota and developing relationships with the people and the natural environment.

Forces of Nature: A French Encounter will conjure the power of the seas, the sun and the elements depicted in the theatrical splendour of the French Baroque of Paris and Versailles.

Concert duration is approximately ninety minutes, including a twenty-minute interval.

Since 1977, Adelaide Baroque's aim has been to excite contemporary audiences with the power of baroque music, as well as to nurture the next generation of performers in the presentation and promotion of historical performance practice.

For all concerts presented by Adelaide Baroque, tickets may be booked online at www.trybooking.com/eventlist/adelaidebaroque

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