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March 19th, 2024
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GVCO 25th Anniversary Concert, 19th June 2021
by philip (16th June 21)
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE ~ Helen Rankin
When I first became President of the Committee of Management at the beginning of 2019, I was stepping into a role that Wendy Oakes OAM had filled for 23 years. There was no way I could possibly manage to do what she had achieved over that time. It was daunting, but I was excited as well. I knew I had Wendy’s support and that she was there for me. Who would have dreamt though, that COVID 19 would be so disruptive. After no concert last year, we feared we were facing the same again.
I am delighted, thanks to the wonderful efforts of the Riverlinks team and the support of the Shepparton Arts Festival that we are able
to present this Live - Stream 25th Anniversary Concert into everyone’s lounge room.
None of this would have been possible without the support of my excellent committee, our conductor Steven Sargant and artistic director Leona Sterling. I thank them all sincerely.
I hope you enjoy our GVCO Annual Concert 2021.
“Where words leave off, music begins” ~ Heinrich Heine

CONDUCTOR ~ Steven Sargant
Steven is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts where he studied Horn in the mid-eighties. Following a Graduate Diploma in Education, Steven was appointed to the Music staff at Wanganui Park Secondary College in 1991. Over many years in front of countless ensembles he has honed and refined his ensemble directing skills. Currently Steven is teaching Music at the McGuire Campus of Greater Shepparton Secondary College. His passion for community music has witnessed his involvement in many ensembles both as a player and as a Conductor.
Steven was honoured to have been made Principal Conductor of the Goulburn Valley Concert Orchestra following the retirement of the orchestra’s founding Conductor Mrs. Wendy Oakes OAM

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ~ Leona Sterling
Leona is a Piano Teacher and former Classroom Music Teacher, who has come almost full circle in terms of musical involvement since arriving in Shepparton during the 1970s. As a former Conductor of the Shepparton Symphony Orchestra, she was Musical Director for three STAG productions and many school productions at Shepparton High School and Goulburn Valley Grammar School. She has also played Cello for many other STAG and Turaton shows, not to mention playing Cello in GVCO for many years.
As the new Artistic Director of GVCO, she has helped prepare this Annual Concert; has arranged a String Workshop with Affinity Quartet and is preparing programmes for the Chamber Music Concerts in August. She is
also a strong supporter of the Australian National Piano Award

PROGRAM

Light Cavalry Overture ~ Franz von Suppé

Intermezzo ~ Pietro Mascagni

Symphony No 9 1st & 2nd Movt. ~ Antonin Dvorak

Five Dogs’ Suite ~ Wade Gregory

Arietta ~ Leroy Anderson

Selections from Phantom of the Opera ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber

Superman March ~ John Williams

GOULBURN VALLEY CONCERT ORCHESTRA

FIRST VIOLINS

PETER READ, Sharon Thomas, Alison Smith, Imré Gontier

SECOND VIOLINS

LIESL PARNELL
Fiona Morphett, Georgina Waser, Alexander Wright, Sarah Minotti, Megan McFarlane, Rebecca Jennings

Violas
Carole McGregor, Wade Gregory, Rechelle Zammit, Charleigh Hack, Bruce Sterling

CELLOS

DEMI WOOD, Keri Jennings, Leona Sterling, Lidia Amadei

DOUBLE BASS

Charlotte Drinnan

FLUTES

Sandy Sexton, Jill Clapperton

PICCOLO

Jill Clapperton

OBOE

Eric Anderson

FRENCH HORN

Valerie Murphy

TRUMPETS

Katherine Cartwright, Jeremy Sargent, Paige Johnston

TENOR TROMBONES

Lachlan Gallacher, William Lees

BASS TROMBONE

Hayley Williamson

TUBA

James Simpson

CLARINET

Carissa Lee, Brian Matthews Clifton Boschetti

BASSOON

Nyree O’Connor

TIMPANI

Helen Rankin

PERCUSSION

Bruce Archibald, Kim Read, Djembe Archibald

KEYBOARD

Wade Gregory
Co-vid 19 puts a halt to annual concert and rehearsals
by philip (15th June 20)
The Co-Vid 19 (Corona Virus) Pandemic has also meant that the orchestra's usual activities have been curtailed for 2020. We did manage to get in two events in the first few months of the year - a bushfire appeal concert in Chapel on Maude and a workshop with the Affinity Quartet - see photos under "General" for further news about these events - but it turned out that we were extremely fortuitous to get these events in - especially the workshop, since that was one of the very few Arts Festival events that went ahead before everything else was cancelled. Our annual concert (due to occur on June 21st in Eastbank) has been cancelled, and although another concert is pencilled in for October, this is also in severe doubt, as rehearsals are also problematic, needing, as we do, at this stage of the year (June 1st 2020) to only have 20 people in a room at one time and also to be two metres apart from others. Some string rehearsals may be possible but to get a full orchestra concert up by October seems, at this point, impossible. Rest assured, we are trying, but at this stage it appears the rest of 2020 may be a write-off for orchestra, as well as for the other community groups that rehearse in Chapel on Maude, 36 Degrees South Choir, and the Shepparton Brass and Wind Band. I will update here as soon as I know some more. There is a meeting of the Chapel on Maude committee (which has reps from all three groups on it) on June 12th 2020 to discuss whether (and if so how) Chapel on Maude can be open for rehearsals, given all the social distancing and especially, deep cleaning, needed after every rehearsal and activity in the venue.

Update: After our meeting on June 12th we decided to allow groups in to Chapel on Maude on a limited basis (ie with the recommended restrictions). From the end of July it will be allowable for people to be in Chapel on Maude allowing for four square metres per person. After some calculations this meant that a maximum of 47 people could fit into the space - so that included performers and audience. Each group was left to themselves to decide how and what they could manage and the orchestra is aiming at chamber type groups from as soon as possible, with the aim of doing some small concerts in Chapel on Maude itself and repeating the same concert to allow for more people to see it, with appropriate sanitising of pews, music stands etc between each concert. No firm date set as yet but some small groups may be able to rehearse from now onwards.
Affinity Quartet Workshop
by philip (1st June 20)
Affinity Quartet workshopped with some members of GVCO on Sunday 15th March.
Bushfire Appeal Concert
by philip (20th March 20)
Bushfire Appeal Concert in Chapel on Maude on Saturday February 22nd.
GVCO Chamber Concert 1 Sunday September 1st 2019
by philip (10th September 19)
Held in Eastbank Function Rooms
GVCO Chamber Concert 2 Sunday 8th September 2019
by philip (10th September 19)
Held in Eastbank Function Rooms
Chamber Concert 3 Program 2019
by philip (10th September 19)

Program for Annual Concert 2019
by philip (15th July 19)
Here is the program presented at the annual concert in Eastbank on Saturday June 22nd 2019
GVCO MOVES TO CHAPEL ON MAUDE
by philip (30th January 19)
GVCO has moved to Chapel on Maude, the old Wesley Church in Maude Street Shepparton
Chamber Concert 3 2018 - program
by philip (6th September 18)
Chamber Concert 3, 2018 - program
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