Conductor: Rupert D’Cruze Concertmaster: Ann Speed Featuring: Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra, Orchestras Central MC: Brooke Baker
A balmy summer evening with the promise of a solicited fireworks display (as opposed to the vulgar unsolicited and obnoxious one thrust annually on the city) had a crowd of thousands flocking to the Rhododendron Lawn for the Sunset Symphony.
This Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival event featuring the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra is a firm favourite of festival attendees and as always it was a case of first in, best seated.
The Brass Attack quartet warmed up the crowd with a recognisable selection of songs that set the tone for the evening. Their final piece, a Les Miserables medley, was beautifully performed and the quartet were rewarded with resounding applause.
The Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra filed onto the stage while an event host who never introduced himself managed to introduce the musicians and take care of all the H&S matters. Brooke Baker was announced as MC, and we then met the concertmaster Ann Speed, and the orchestra’s renown conductor Rupert D’Cruze. The orchestra itself is made up of numerous volunteers and musicians who practice together almost every week of the year.
Baker kept the event moving along and even showcased her voice during a couple of singalong numbers.
There was a unified tone throughout the string section. The appropriate nuances and subtleties were clear through each of the works. It was thrilling to watch strings en masse displaying synergy, their bows all moving as one particularly in Suppe’s Light Cavalry Overture.
The music selection meant that all parts of the talented orchestra were able to showcase their talents, from the adorable piccolo in Waltz of the Flowers to the xylophone in the theme song from Superman Returns.
The programme had been divided into sections, aptly named the Sports section, the Change of Pace, the Dancing section. Pockets of attendees danced their way through Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers not minding a lack of harp. The Can Can was another piece that had people on their feet and clapping across the Rhodo Lawn.
At one point the performance was interrupted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, and later by emergency notifications as word got out that New Zealand was heading into higher COVID alert levels within a few hours. Although frequent, the re-tunes were quick.
The ACLX technical team along with Hamilton Broadcast Productions Ltd provided a unique view of the performers via a live camera feed projected onto the crystal-clear big screen. This behind-the-scenes perspective was fascinating, notably D’Cruze’s passionate expressions as he cajoled his players along, and the orchestra members themselves deep in performance.
As the sun sank and Hamilton’s beloved Ghost Gum was illuminated, the journey advanced towards the finale with some fascinating tempo, arrangement and music choices. Sibelius’ Finlandia was full of emotion, and Cohen’s Hallelujah was supported by a vocal crowd.
The evening finished with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Unfortunately, the fireworks weren’t synchronised to the piece but it made no difference to the four thousand in attendance who were awestruck as the explosions kept coming. As we filed out, there were various murmurings of ‘we must arrive earlier next year.’ Indeed. I’ll be aiming to be on the lawn by 4pm to secure the best seat in the house to again see the Waikato’s favourite symphony orchestra.
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