1990, Haydn's The Seasons - Spring and Summer (audio files)
Audio recordings courtesy of Graham Ford. For solos, the soloist is named first.
1 Overture (The Eltham Community Orchestra is conducted by Ian Lowe)
SPRING 2 Behold where surly Winter flies 3 Come, Gentle Spring 4 Chris Barling - At last the bounteous Sun 5 Chris Barling - With joy 6 Allan Luke - Laborious man 7 Be propitious 8 Mavis Ford - Our fervent prayers 9 Spring, her lovely charms unfolding 10 God of Light
SUMMER 11 Allan Luke - Her face in dewy veil 12 Chris Barling - From out the fold 13 Nancy Cornwallis - Lo, now aslant 14 Behold on High he Mounts 15 Chris Barling - Now swarms the Village 16 Allan Luke - Tis Noon 17 Allan Luke - Distressful Nature 18 Nancy Cornwallis - O welcome now 19 Nancy Cornwallis - O how pleasing 20 Behold 21 Hark the deep tremendous voice 22 Now cease the conflicts 32 The vineyard now 33 Joyful the liquor flows
Ian Lowe conducted the Eltham Community Orchestra from 1987 to 1998. Here he conducts The Seasons with DVS at the Diamond Creek Uniting Church
In the new year rehearsals for The Seasons began and auditions were held for soloists. Mavis and Nancy were to share the soprano solos, Allan Luke and Chris Barling were the tenor and bass soloists respectively.
The Seasons was ready in mid-May and three performances were held. The first was at Castlemaine Anglican Church. (Graham's parents, who live in Castlemaine, were responsible for the invitation). An enthusiastic group of singers and orchestra members boarded a bus for the journey. This was our first country venture for a major performance and the group's efforts were rewarded with country hospitality in the form of a soup and sandwich lunch on arrival and a magnificent afternoon tea after the performance.
During the following week, further performances were held at East Ivanhoe and Diamond Creek Uniting Churches.
These history notes have been kindly provided by our long-term artistic director and co-founder, Graham Ford.
