The Metropolitan Orchestra’s (TMO) final Met Concert for 2023, conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, will expose listeners to an exceptionally varied scope of music which will showcase not only the virtuosity of the orchestra, but present a magnificent world premiere highlighting an incredible, yet little known feature of Marrickville Town Hall with TMO’s seventh world premiere presentation for this year.

Scheherazade Punch begins with Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis which presents TMO’s dynamic string section broken into multiple components to deliver a truly surround-sound experience filled with atmospheric antiphonal (alternating voices) effects from this hauntingly beautiful work.

The world premiere of Jim Coyle’s “Punch” for theatre organ and orchestra will showcase the magnificent and very rare Wurlitzer Opus 875 theatre organ which resides at Marrickville Town Hall. This unique instrument was originally stationed at the Prince Edward theatre in Castlereagh Street, Sydney from 1924. It was later renovated and lovingly installed into Marrickville Town Hall with the chambers disposed in a high-up position on either side of the Town Hall stage from where they speak directly into the acoustically live auditorium with the inaugural performance at Marrickville delivered in November 1968. Tonight’s performance will feature inner-west local and one of Australia’s most accomplished and loved pianists/organists, Bev Kennedy, who incidentally grew up playing on this particular instrument.

After the interval, the orchestra returns in full force for Rimsky-Korsakov’s powerhouse tale of Scheherazade. This dazzling work showcases Rimsky-Korsakov’s mastery as an orchestrator with his incredible work that is often subtle and sensory, and then rich and grand, climaxing in a shimmering fortissimo. The work traverses the story of Scheherazade in 1001 Nights (or Arabian Nights) through four aptly titled movements in a work that is filled with high drama, colourful scenes and unanticipated twists and turns to keep both musician and audience on the edge of their seats as the musical tale spins onward.

This captivating work will not only deliver a fitting end to an absolutely extraordinary night of music, but complete an outstanding year of performance for The Metropolitan Orchestra under the careful guidance of their Artistic Director Sarah-Grace Williams.

Program:
WILLIAMS  – Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
COYLE – Punch – A Dance for Theatre Organ & Orchestra *WORLD PREMIERE
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV – Scheherazade

Artists:
The Metropolitan Orchestra
Conductor – Sarah-Grace Williams
Soloists – Bev Kennedy (Wurlitzer Theatre Organ)

Supported by the Inner West Council.