WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 BELLINGEN SHIRE NEWS – PAGE 9 Bellingen Muse celebrating virtuosity Ensemble Q: Set to be one of many highlights at the inaugural Belllingen Muse Festival By ADAM NORRIS challenging and requires and a safer route with this relaunch, Coff s Harbour this year. It a museum. Were not interested coming along and listening, but here has been a pantheon of delivers virtuosic performances.” but in some ways we were forced was already in our 5 year plan in having people turn up and an opportunity of interacting, Tmusical muses throughout Bellingen Muse endeavours not to. Th e old format you could to expand to Coff s. As our regurgitate their favourite pieces where the audience and the centuries – Euterpe of to continue this celebration perhaps unfairly describe as a aspiration to grow the festival from 500 years ago, and we all performers can talk, they can get Ancient Greece, Hathor of of world music, but will be series of polite concerts. and raise the quality, we needed clap and go home. feedback and share stories, that Ancient Egypt and now, from expanding its musical palette “It wasnt a festival as such, to expand the festival program “We want new people sort of thing.” the legacy of the Fine Music to incorporate other distinct and now we dont have the and revenue, and the number of to become aware of what For more information Festival, comes Bellingen Muse, genres. [Memorial Hall]. Th eres people who can buy a ticket and experiences are possible by going and to purchase ticket ready to showcase some of the “It turns out that gaming nowhere you could fi t more see things, which in turns helps to these concerts, and listening packs, please visit www. highest quality musicianship in music is the largest single source than around 100 people. us aff ord the very best musicians to this type of music. bellingenmuse.com.au/buy- Australia. of demand for new music! A lot “So that was one of the drivers in Australia. “What I see is a players and tickets. Individual ticket As one of the organisers of of games are set in medieval and to make the decision to go to “Were not interested in being listeners festival. Its not just sales will be available soon. this new-look festival, David Gothic settings, and use music Lester cant wait for audiences to create atmosphere. to experience whats in store. “ABC Classic FM has an “For many years, the Bellingen annual Top 100 event. It might Fine Music Festival had what be Top 100 arias, or Top 100 most people would describe as Mozart pieces. a world music performance,” “Th is year it was music from David explained. the screen, which was the big “Th eres an interesting debate screen and the small. of what do you actually mean by “Meena Shamaly will be at the fi ne music, and thats why most festival, who is the host of the people think of fi ne music as gaming music show on ABC classical music. Classic FM, and thats going to “But thats valuing European be a big draw. musical tradition as having some “Ive actually met young kind of preeminence over other people who have gone out and traditions, which it doesnt. learned the piano because of “Chinese music, South the music they were listening American music, Indigenous to while they were gaming, and music, theres all sorts of genres it got them intrigued. So its of music which have a range of defi nitely turning a lot of heads.” performance qualities within Part of the Bellingen Muse them. ethos is not only celebrating “Our way of describing it is, high-quality music, but bringing fi ne music is music performed more people into this fi ne music by people with a lifetime fold. To that end, Bellingen commitment to their instrument arent the only benefi ciaries of and to their repertoire, and who this years celebrations. play repertoire that is oft en “We could have possibly gone