GOA STRING ORCHESTRA (G.S.O)
Report of the year 2007—2008
The Goa String Orchestra (GSO) founded in April, 2002, functions as a platform for performance to musicians—music teachers and music students (of at least grade VIII performance level) young and not so young, professionals in their own fields and college students—who aim at bringing out to an appreciative public the gems of international classical music.
On 26th August, 2004 Music Lovers’ Society was formed and registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 with the aim of supporting, promoting and encouraging the development of the Orchestra by organizing concerts.
The New Year
The GSO started the sixth year of its musical activities in the first week of June, 2007, under the direction of Nauzer Daruwalla. The members of the Orchestra decided that they would meet for their rehearsals every Monday and Thursday from 6.00 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. at Kala Academy’s rehearsal hall. The Managing Committee Fr. (Dr.) E. Miranda (President), Vasco Dias (Treasure) and Burjor Shroff (Secretary) planned to hold five concerts during the year.
In an extraordinary meeting of the Society it was decided to change the name, from Goa State String Orchestra (GSSO) to Goa String Orchestra (GSO). This decision was taken in view of the fact that Kala Academy has an orchestra called Goa State Symphony Orchestra (GSSO). The two abbreviations could easily lend themselves to a mix-up.
Following are the players who performed in (at least in one of the) the five concerts held during the period June, 07—April, 08:
Violin I: Myra Shroff, Gorette Pinheiro, April Baracho, Sarah George, Pearlyshell Diniz, Victor Da Costa, Lourdes Soares.
Violin II: Chernoll Mendonca, Bernadette Diniz, Savio Fernandes, Dwayne Fernandes, Christabelle Ribeiro, Chriselle
Mendonca, Joseph Colaco
Viola: Celina Andrews, Marissa Andrews, Edgar Mendes, Michelle Noronha, Chime Fernandes
Cello: Tereza Figueiredo, Vasco Dias, Jenny Fernandes
Double Bass: Anthony C. Vas, Roque Lazarus
Guest Players: Susanne Badyari, Aditi Sahasrabuddhe, Leanne Lima Fernandes (Flute); Shankar Indorkar (Oboe); Vishvanath Laad (Bassoon); Jerome Rodrigues(Trumpet); Pearl Viegas (Keyboard)
Resident Conductor: Nauzer Daruwalla
Aware that the music that GSO produces has got to reach out the public at large if we really want to foster a culture of classical music, the members of our Society decided to hold a concert in Margao. The venue chosen was the Holy Spirit Church. As such a request was made to Fr. Ventura Lourenco, the Parish Priest to allow us to use the church for a concert.
Margao Concert
On 5th August, 07 our first concert was held at the Holy Spirit Church. Despite being a day of heavy rain the seats of the church were fully occupied. The programme included Mozart’s AveVerum; G. Rossini’s String Sonata No.1 in G; Mozart’s Motet, Exsultate-Jubilate, rendered by the Soprano Joanne Marie D’mello; J. S. Bach’s Air from Suite No.3; Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The last item was Ruzari Saibinni a traditional Konkani hymn, arranged for orchestra by Lourdino Barreto. It was sung by Joanne D’mello and the Cotta Family—Miguel, Lisette, Chantalle, Franz Schubert—from Margao. The rich interior of the baroque architecture of the church provided a congenial ambience to the music performed by us.
The Friends who helped organize this event in Margao were the Cotta family and their Associates. The audience was highly appreciative and extended to us and invitation to perform another concert.
The September Concert:
The programme for this concert held on 11th September, comprised: J.S. Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze; Mozart’s Divertimento No.1;J. Pachelbel’s Canon in D major; G. Rossini’s String Sonata No.1 in G; Mozart’s Serenade Eine Kleine Nachlmusik” and Goan folk music arranged for a string orchestra by Antonio de Figueiredo entitled Miniaturas I II III.
A token of appreciation (an honorarium) to the musicians who participated in this concert was given by Kala Academy. With this subsidy a part of the expenses incurred in organizing this performance was met. Kala Academy allowed us to use the D. Mangeshkar auditorium without any charges. We express our thanks to Kala Academy for all these gracious gestures.
Mr. Jitendra Deshprabhu, Vice-Chairman of Kala Academy was our Chief Guest. He had words of encouragement to the musicians and the management of our Society.
The December Concert:
For the third concert of the year we decided to associate some wind instruments, namely an oboe, two flutes, a bassoon, a trumpet and timpani.
The programme was devised so as to give the audience the pleasure of listening to music of various periods. Thus it opened with L. Bocherini’s Quatuor (op, 8 no.5) followed by J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. Two symphonic pieces were performed, namely, L.v. Beethoven’s Romanze in G for Violin and Orchestra and Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.6 (94) “Surprise” which crowned our programme. Michael Kellet, a British who played as member of London Philharmonic was the soloist for the Romanze.
In the Season’s spirit four Carols were rendered on the strings and Mercedes Lobo sang “Come unto Him” and “How beautiful are the feet of them” from the Messiah by G.F. Handel.
Mr. Pratapsingh Rane, Chairman of Kala Academy was the Chief Guest. His words of praise and stimulation still ring in our minds. The concert was attended also by Dr. Pandurang Phaldessai, K.A.’s Member Secretary, and Mrs. Candida Fernandes, Administrator of Kala Academy.
Once again we would like to express here our thanks to Kala Academy for having given a token of appreciation to the players and allowed us to perform in the D. Mangeshkar auditorium free of charge.
The Monte Festival Concert:
For the 6th time our orchestra was invited to perform at the prestigious Festival held under the aegis of Fundacao Oriente since 2003. Conceptualized as an encounter of the Indian Classical and the International Classical music traditions, the Festival brings together artistes of a high standard.
An Invocation—an ancient Konkani hymn, Diptivonti Sulokinni arranged for strings and percussion—was the first item of our presentation followed by G. F. Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. The flute soloist in the J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2, Suzan Badyari was at her best, particularly in the classical, well known melody, Badinerie (last movement); Rossini’s String Sonata No. 1 in G was the next piece. The programme ended with Miniaturas I, II, III three themes of Goan Folk music arranged for strings by Antonio de Figueiredo. At the end Dr. Paulo Varela Gomes, Delegate/ CEO of Fundacao Oriente addressing the audience had a word of praise for the Orchestra’s choice of pieces, particularly Miniaturas and the performance.
K. A.’s Goa State Symphony Orchestra’s (GSSO) concert.
In January, 2008 Kala Academy invited the members of GSO to participate in a concert planned to be held sometime in March, 2008. The President of the Society Fr. (Dr.) E. Miranda was requested to coordinate with the office bearers of Goa Guitar Guild, the effort of bringing together the musicians - strings, winds and percussion - from all over Goa who would meet the requirement of performance level. These were to play along with five outstanding artistes from Germany, who were invited to give shape to Kala Academy’s plan of a symphony orchestra. The effort paid dividends. In the last week of January the rehearsals were started. Among the German artistes were Ulf Klausenitzer, professor of violin at the university of Nuernberg who was to conduct the GSSO; Hartmurt Krause the concert master; Matthias Hofer (clarinet) and Yuko Schmidt (oboe). Sanya Myla Cotta a former GSO member who at present is pursuing her post-graduate studies at the university of Nuernberg was to play both as soloist and member of the orchestra. .
The concert was held on 4th March. It was a grand occasion. The programme comprised Ouverture Alceste by C. W. v. Gluck; F. Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra for which Sanya Cotta was soloist; Vanraj Bhatia’s Allegretto Grazioso from his Sinfonia Concertante and L.v. Beethoven’s Adagio molto(first mov.) from Symphony No.1.
It appears that the concert as a first time effort was a successful experiment, like a Goan-German musical joint venture.
We express our thanks to Kala Academy for the initiative and the token of appreciation given to our musicians. We thank also the office bearers of GGG for the organizational effort involved in holding the performance at D. Mangeshkar auditorium, Kala Academy as well as for the repeat performance at BITS Pillani campus, Sancoale on March 5th.
A big thank you:
This report would be incomplete if we had not recorded here our thanks to the “Friends of the Orchestra” without whose support we would not be able to carry out our activities. They are our Orchestra family. We thank in a special way our friend Mr. Eric Pinto, of New York for his generous financial contribution with which we could give this year a token of appreciation of a higher value to each of our GSO members.
