Festival
Music By The Sea Festival 2013
11 - 13 January
Festival Program will be released in September 2012.
The 11th Festival will present comedy, folk, jazz, classical and world music.
Our passed festivals featured international, interstate and local profesional and emerging artists.
List of some of our previous festival artists:
Roger Woodward, Simon Tedeschi, Jane Rutter, James Morrison, Joe Chindamo, Karin Schaupp, Brisbane Chamber Orchestra, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, Prrim, Kevin Hunt, Stringmansassy, Tinpan Orange, OKA, Tete (France), Bob Brozman (USA), Lucie Thorne, Dva, William Barton, The Whitetop Mountaineers (USA), Ewan MacKenzie, Donald Hall, Circle of Rhythm, Anthony Garcia, Tulca Mor, Tjupurru, Jack the Lad, Java (France), Sunas, Shenton Gregory, Seaside Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy Eskenazi (France), The Yearlings, Kristina Olsen (USA), The View From Madeleine’s Couch, Waiting for Guiness, Katus (UK), The Badinerie Players, Mamadou Diabate (Mali), Tijuana Cartel, Andrew Veivers, Sarah Hopkins, Jeff Lang, CODA, Frank Martheze, Wild Marmalade, Kooii, Jiggzag, Andre Reginato, The Ghost, Michael Fix, The Hottentots, Gerard Mapstone, The Poachers, Gareth Koch, Trish O’Brien, Dheeraj Shrestha, Ange Takats, Velvet Cellar Cabaret, Ensemble I, Australian Chamber Musicians, Sue Wighton, Linsey Pollak, Samjjana, Spot the Dog, Walisuma, The Redeemers, Omnia Ensemble, Mystery Pacific, Doch, Pejvaak, Dya Sing, Ganga Giri, Stone House, Warogus, Bolivia Marka, Anything but Roy, Invention in Time and many more…
One of the feedbacks we received about the 2012 Festival:
We would like to thank you once again for the wonderful experience we had at the Music By The Sea Festival. We attended five concerts and were literally awe-struck by the quality and talent of the musicians. Had to pinch ourselves to check we really were in the Sandgate Town Hall. It was worth hundreds of dollars, not the reasonable price we paid.
On the Saturday it started (for us) with the wonderful singer from the Celtic Folk group, Sunas. Not only was she beautiful to look at, but such a clear voice and fabulous flute and recorder playing. Then we heard the Donald Hall group with his musical journey through history and were enthralled by the violin playing of John Rodgers - have never heard violin like that. It was like Paganini appearing before us in Sandgate! What a talent. And as for the Persian singer in the group, his voice was so arresting, but I loved his mellow sections best.
After that, we heard the Spanish Guitar genius Gerard Mapstone, with the tabla player (Dheeraj) and Shenzo on electric violin. Wow! Their hands moved at lightning speed. We all said that we had never heard anything like this trio in our whole lives. All superlatives seemed lacking. My friend Ken, next to me, said jokingly, “If this Festival gets any better I am going to have a nervous breakdown. I can’t take any more brilliance and excitement.” We were still laughing about this for days afterwards.
On the Sunday morning, we loved Sarah Hopkins angelic haunting music. Despite the lack of sufficient rehearsals with the orchestra over busy Christmas time, it was inspirational. The majestic ascending notes with trumpets in “Ancient Forests” was soaring in beauty. After that, the orchestral classics were also brilliant. I understood one of the Stravinsky’s compositions as if for the first time. It is like a volcano erupting, followed by sorrow, then by renewal of the land.
Then we came back for the delightful Jane Rutter on Flute and were thrilled to hear that she would later perform An Australian in Paris at the Town Hall, based on her own training with the great Flute Masters of our time. I am sure the Jazz on Saturday night—the small chamber groups—and the classical piano on Sunday night with Simon Tedeschi were also wonderful.
The only problem is they may have to extend the Town Hall to fit everyone in next time, once the word spreads. I hope that people book their tickets early next year to ensure a seat.
Kind regards Judith and Michael Jeffrey