By Robert Harris
In this the month of Remembrance Day, the Galston Concerts themselves are almost a memory, last welcoming a live audience a year ago, pre-pandemic.
But those memories live on, with this month’s cancelled Galston Gala, the final concert of the 2020 series in Galston Uniting Church, at least prompting happy memories of past concerts.
Remembrance Day honours those who served, suffered and sacrificed in past wars, but also prompts reminiscence of happier peace-time service.
“Our concerts, of course, rely on the church itself as a very welcoming home for musicmaking” notes concerts artistic director Rob Harris.
“The completion of this new church in 1988, a project uniting three previous local churches, was complemented by the restoration of the pipe organ in what was its own centenary year.”
“The original organ was donated in 1888 by three sisters, The Misses E. C., M. L. and C. F. Baxter, to what was then Bourke Street Congregational Church, Sydney”.
“The 1988 organ restoration, itself the result of a dedicated local team effort, was matched by the further donation by Mrs Melba Branz of her concert grand piano to this Galston Parish Centre.”
“These great ladies in a way bring us back to remembering other great ladies who served wars in other ways … another Melba in Dame Nellie Melba singing for our troops during the First World War, ‘Our Glad’ Gladys Moncrieff and Dame Vera Lynn during World War Two, Little Pattie and the Sapphires in Vietnam.”
“Hopefully, no more wars but, hopefully, there’ll be many future concerts, to enliven our organ and piano treasures.”
To join the Galston Concerts database contact Robert on 0428 248 348.
