FESTIVAL OF BANDS 2024
CONCERT PROGRAM
SAT 4TH MAY 2024 | 4:00PM
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ST. PATRICK’S PRIMARY SCHOOL OVAL
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SAT 4TH MAY 2024 | 4:00PM 〰️ ST. PATRICK’S PRIMARY SCHOOL OVAL 〰️
GALA CONCERT PROGRAM
Title | Composer / Arranger
Conducted by Claire Preston
Children’s Choir
Yo Vivo Cantando! (I Live to Sing) | Jerry Estes
Bonse Aba | arr. Victor C. Johnson
Jetman | Paul Jarman
COMBINED CHOIR PERFORMANCE
I Sing Because I’m Happy | arr. Kenneth Padden
Teen/Adult Choir
Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel | arr. Roger Emerson
The Wanderer | Dan Walker
Sisi Ni Moja | Jacob Narverud
Conducted by Stefanie Smith
Concert Band 1
The Way of the Samurai | Emma Olsen
The Hope of Tomorrow | Naoya Wada
Tadpoles | Randall Standridge
Concert Band 2
The Grid | Adrian B Sims
Bonsai Tree | Julie Giroux
Blue Ridge Reel | Brian Balmages
Concert Band 3
Terpsichorean Dances | Jodie Blackshore
The Haunted Carousel | Erika Svanoe
Earth Song | Frank Ticheli
The Great Locomotive Chase | Robert W Smith
Guest performance by Best of Brass & Trio Esprit
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BAND CONDUCTOR/CLINICIAN
Stefanie Smith
Stefanie Smith is a Brisbane based conductor, where she regularly works with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra and Brisbane Symphony Orchestra. Stefanie has recently returned from Spain, where she was a semi-finalist in the Concurso Internacional de Dirección “Vila de Bétera” and Scotland, where she worked with the National Youth Wind Ensemble.
At Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Stefanie teaches the undergraduate conducting courses and conducts the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra. At the Young Conservatorium, she conducts the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, and teaches Chamber Music. Stefanie aims to program new and diverse works for all the ensembles she works with to support young composers.
CHOIR CONDUCTOR/CLINICIAN
Claire Preston
Claire Preston has worked extensively in Australia and North America specialising in developing young singers. She has been Assistant Conductor of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, accompanist for Canada’s foremost professional choir, Elmer Iseler Singers and was Co-Founder of the award winning, Exaudi Youth Choir.
Claire returned to Australia as Head of Choral Studies at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School where she commissioned and recorded Australian music and collaborated regularly with the VCA Orchestra. Claire maintains an active career as a choral conductor and is in demand as an adjudicator for choral festivals and eisteddfods including New Zealand Choral Federation The Big Sing; Festival of Voices, State Honours Ensemble Program Griffith University and Gondwana National Choral School. Claire is currently Head of Music at Hillcrest Christian College and in 2020 was awarded a scholarship through the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute. In 2021, Claire was honoured to receive a Leadership Award from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.
GUEST MUSICIANS: Best of brass
BoB was conceived in early 2008 as a means for five brass players to enjoy themselves playing music from classical to contemporary, ancient to modern, pleasant to challenging. From these small beginnings, BoB has grown into one of Australia’s busiest and most versatile brass quintets with its annual concert season, performances in schools, several major brass/wind camps, regional and international tours, as well as the occasional appearance at corporate events. Drawing on the experience of its members, who have performed on all continents, including many of the major concert stages, BoB is dedicated to presenting works for brass quintet that delight audiences with the required virtuosity, musicality, and last, but not least, entertainment value.
BoB’s recent highlights include a 2013 tour to China, 2018 tour to Hong Kong, hundreds of performances with Musica Viva throughout Queensland, regional tours, workshops and brass/wind/percussion camps supported through the Australian Council for the Arts and Arts Queensland and in collaboration with Marist College Emerald, Cairns State High School, Townsville Brass, and appearances at the University of Queensland, University of Southern Queensland, Tyalgum Festival of Music, Brisbane Music Festival, Queensland Band and Orchestra Clinic, Australian Society for Music Education Conference and Maryborough Music Conference. BoB also has a strong commitment to music by Australian composers through its annual Ozbrass event, having premiered over 30 works in the past six years.
In this year’s Central Highlands Festival of Bands and Choirs, performing for you are Chris Hudson and Richard Madden on Trumpet, Laura Hjortshoj-Haller on Horn, Will Dodds on Trombone and Todd Burke on Bass Trombone.
GUEST MUSICIANS: TRIO ESPRIT
Peter Handsworth
Peter Handsworth is currently Director of Performance Music and Events at Redlands College in Brisbane and is a regular guest clarinetist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. He has most recently completed a PhD on the clarinet studies of Alfred Uhl.
Peter Handsworth began his formal studies in clarinet with David Shephard at the Elder Conservatorium. As a recipient of a QEII Silver Jubilee Trust Award and ABC Young Performers Award he undertook postgraduate studies with Professor Wolfgang Meyer at the renowned Hochschule für Musik in Karlsuhe, Germany. This was the beginning of a successful international performing career that has taken him to all parts of the world performing as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and teacher.
Peter Handsworth has been invited to perform and teach at numerous international music festivals including Lochenhaus, Schleswig Holstein, Weimar festivals and the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific. He has recorded widely, including an EMI Classics recording Blues for Sabine with Sabine Meyer and Eddie Daniels and has performed on numerous occasions for radio broadcasts in Australia and Europe.
His most recent CD Tango is a duo collaboration with guitarist Oliver Fartach-Naini. Following two years as Professor in Clarinet at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 2000 until 2005 Peter Handsworth became Senior Lecturer in Woodwind and subsequently Head of the School of Music at Monash University in Melbourne. Peter Handsworth was the inaugural conductor of the highly acclaimed Adelaide Wind Orchestra (2012-2015) and the resident conductor of the Adelaide Youth Sinfonia (2013-2015). In 2016 he was invited as a guest conductor at Griffith University’s SHEP program.
Miriam Handsworth
After completing her studies in architecture at the University of Tasmania, Miriam went on to study music at the University of Sydney where she was awarded her Bachelor of Music (BMus). In 1998 Miriam received a Queens Trust scholarship for post-graduate study abroad. She studied in Germany and Italy, completing a Diploma of Music, 2001, at the Conservatorium of Castelfranco Veneto, Italy. Over the years Miriam has worked with numerous orchestras including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Munich Symphony, Mannheim State Theatre Orchestra, Würzburg State Theatre Orchestra, Wroclaw Opera, Poland, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and the Wuhan Philharmonic, China. Last year she worked with the Southern Cross Soloists and in August will work with Camerata.
Several works have been written for Miriam including Richard Lambert’s Humoresque, Op.33 for solo bassoon (2008) and more recently his Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Op 36 (2012). A couple of years ago Miriam toured China with the indigenous Australian group The Black Arm Band and enjoys collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds, including jazz and world music.
She has taught piano and bassoon for over 15 years and more recently mini-bassoon. As a tutor she has mentored students in the Adelaide Youth Orchestra and Cyprus Youth Orchestra. She enjoys encouraging young musicians in all aspects of music making, from solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire. She is currently the Queensland State Representative for the Australasian Double Reed Society, a volunteer organization, which offers support and promotes both oboists and bassoonists of all levels and ages.
Gerard Dutton
After 16 years teaching overseas, Gerard returned to Brisbane in 2017. He has performed and taught in Australia, United States, Vietnam, Tonga, New Zealand, South Korea, China and Myanmar. He is now teaching flute at his newly opened Brisbane Flute Studio and performing as a freelance orchestral and chamber musician. He also plays in the newly established Brisbane Wind Quintet.
Gerard has a Master of Music Education, Northwestern University (USA); Graduate Diploma in Education, University of New England (Australia); Bachelor of Music (Instrumental) and Graduate Diploma of Music (Performance) from Queensland Conservatorium.
Before 2001, Gerard was a professional flute player and teacher in Australia, regularly performing with the Queensland Symphony. He was a Sessional Flute Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium. He also played with the international award-winning Movellan Wind Quintet. Gerard was principal flute and soloist (2013) with the Northwestern University Summer Orchestra (USA).
Gerard’s final overseas posting was at the British School of Yangon. He also gave masterclasses at the International School of Yangon and was guest principal flute in the Orchestra for Myanmar. Before Myanmar, Gerard taught music in China for 8 years.
He was secondary music teacher at Beijing BISS International School and Head of Instrumental Studies at Dulwich College Beijing, named best British International School in the world (2011 Independent School Awards). He was also Secretary of the International Schools Choral Music Society (ISCMS).
