The 2024 Brisbane FAME Festival
This amazing FAME Festival which was held in The Women's College at Queensland University, ran from the 30th of June to the 7th of July and concluded with a very successful concert in St John's Cathedral on Saturday 6th of July. Rehearsals with conductor Richard Charlton at the helm began on the Sunday evening after all the registered players had arrived. Richard, a well known Sydney based guitarist, was no stranger to mandolin music as he had been commissioned on several occasions to write pieces for mandolin orchestras and they were very popular both with audiences and the orchestras which performed them!
As well as being appointed conductor for the FAME Festival Orchestra, Richard had been commissioned to compose a piece of music with keeping with the theme of the Brisbane FAME Festival, "the River City", and he wrote a four movement work, "Chronicles of a River City". which was stunning! Another Australian composer, Tara Lynam, was also commissioned to write a piece for the Festival and this beautiful piece, "Echoes of the River", along with Richard Charlton's major work both had their world premier performances by the FAME Festival Orchestra at St John's Cathedral.
The Festival Orchestra numbered around 70 players who came from West Australia (including one player from Port Hedland!), Victoria, New South Wales and of course Queensland. Players rehearsed intensively under the baton of Richard Charlton but also found time to also prepare performances in small groups for an "in house" concert to entertain one another.
This highly successful FAME Festival was hosted by Mandolins in Brisbane (MIB) and was meticulously planned by a very hard working committee of members of MIB, especially Marian Zaunbrecher, Linda Nathan and Joel Woods (MIB's conductor).
As well as being appointed conductor for the FAME Festival Orchestra, Richard had been commissioned to compose a piece of music with keeping with the theme of the Brisbane FAME Festival, "the River City", and he wrote a four movement work, "Chronicles of a River City". which was stunning! Another Australian composer, Tara Lynam, was also commissioned to write a piece for the Festival and this beautiful piece, "Echoes of the River", along with Richard Charlton's major work both had their world premier performances by the FAME Festival Orchestra at St John's Cathedral.
The Festival Orchestra numbered around 70 players who came from West Australia (including one player from Port Hedland!), Victoria, New South Wales and of course Queensland. Players rehearsed intensively under the baton of Richard Charlton but also found time to also prepare performances in small groups for an "in house" concert to entertain one another.
This highly successful FAME Festival was hosted by Mandolins in Brisbane (MIB) and was meticulously planned by a very hard working committee of members of MIB, especially Marian Zaunbrecher, Linda Nathan and Joel Woods (MIB's conductor).
the 2024 Brisbane FAME Festival Orchestra on the front steps of St John's Cathedral with conductor Richard Charlton in the front row
Here are some photos taken during the 2024 Brisbane FAME Festival. If you click on the small images they will enlarge and can be downloaded.
