Full Steam Ahead!
The second day of Camp saw a definite change in tone. There’s no turning back – full steam ahead!
Musicians had arrived from all over Australia – some were even still waiting on suitcases to be delivered. The variety of campers is just astounding with people coming from different backgrounds, locations, ages and experience, yet everyone is united by this one common thread of wanting to make the best music possible.
The morning was passed with tutti orchestra rehearsals and tutorials. A big thanks has to go to the Arts Admin group for coming in early and setting up. The Composition students were found a room to tinker away in; Arts Admin were putting up signs, marking rolls, organising students and creating proposals; Words About Music (WAM) were planning the magazine, taking photos and sourcing interviewees and stories.
Everything was running smoothly like the well-oiled machine it is, and then the afternoon delivered Chamber Music. Two entire floors of the Schulz Building were taken up with more than forty chamber ensembles. Seeping under the doors was the intermingling of room-sharing debate and pieces being practiced. Momentary pandemonium gave way to order and everything continued according to plan. Only a few people were left to practice in the hallways.
In the early part of the afternoon the NMC group photo took place with the whole entourage assembling on the front steps of Elder Hall. It was a relatively hot day, with people claiming what shade they could, only migrating out for five minutes and then retreating back to cooler conditions and to practice.
Day Two ended with a Meet the Music Director talk from Paul Dean. Paul gave us a mix of inspiration and NMC stories, urging all the participants to take risks and to “go for it” in striving for high-energy performances. Following this were some stunning chamber music performances, featuring members of the tutorial staff, of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and Melbourne composer Stuart Greenbaum’s Mondrian Interiors. Vivacious and thoroughly engaging to all campers, it was a brilliant end to a long day.
Felicity Haigh
Words About Music Participant