Parkes has never seen anything like Overture.
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Billed as a 'Stars under the Stars' performance at the brilliant Cooke Park Pavilion facility, the April 2 event under the beautiful night sky of Parkes will feature two of Australia's leading performers - Lucy Durack and Josh Piterman.
If you think this is just a regular performance by just a couple of headliners though, think again.
This is as much about giving regional musicians and singers - be they children or adults - a chance to shine and show that incredible music exists outside the cities, as it is about Lucy and Josh.
The aforementioned pair will be supported by Billie Palen (Dubbo) and Jarrod Draper (Orange), while high school students Henry Best (Grenfell) and Holly Hare (Bathurst) and local Parkes Christian School primary students Amy Ross and Lexi Harden will also get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform with Lucy and Josh.
One of Australia's most esteemed performers and composer, the effervescent Nicholas Gentile, will act as Musical Director, and in the lead up to April is coaching the backing orchestra for the singers, which is comprised entire of kids under the age of 18 from the Central West.
Parkes' born and bred musical star, opera singer Jessica Westcott is a key driving force behind getting the event off the ground.
Jessica is the director of UpStage Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to create links between metropolitan and regional young artists, and she said this event is going to be life-changing for the kids involved.
"The concert is the youth orchestra support by a pro orchestra," she explained.
"We've got three professional musicians coming out from Sydney to not only play in the event, but also to mentor the kids.
"Having those pros with the young kids will really make the sound epic, and it'll be as good as anything you'll see in Sydney," said Jessica.
UpStage has partnered with the Parkes Shire Council to deliver the concert, but the most important part for Jessica and co-producer Harriet Snaith is that the talented local musicans will get a chance to work with the best of the best.
"These professionals are the best muscians in the country, who Nick works regularly with...and they are more readily accessible at the moment with not many gigs around due to COVID," Jessica said.
"They've all been picked because of the way they work with kids and their history of mentorship.
"For example Louis Johnson (kit drums, pictured in video) is in the back room currently practicing his jazz. He's never played jazz before but he'll get to sit next to Sam Evans, who is one of the best drummers in Australia, and learn how to play jazz from him and play alongside him
"The kids are all so excited, they've all googled the performers and are really excited to work with them," said Jessica.
When you speak to Jessica, as bubbly, genuine and enthusiastic person as you could ever meet, you get the sense giving opportunities to young musicians from the area is one of the things she is most passionate about, and she says it isn't just about participation but in fact elite performance.
"We kinda went into this, that this is a big concert, yes, and we hope we can produce something amazing for the Parkes community," she said.
"But we what we really want to do is give opportunities for these kids...let's get something specifically designed for regional kids that doesn't dumb music down and pushes them.
"They got these 15 songs two weeks ago and the expectation is that'll be professional orchestra standard...we really had to pick kids that we know will handle the pressure and won't feel overwhelmed.
"Nick and I have been made all these little videos for every single part in every single song, so it's bigger than Ben Hur this performance," laughed Jessica.
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"Sydney kids from an early age can see they can be a part of something much bigger as a musician, and that's the part kids out here don't see that often," said Jessica, who of course is a proud country girl herself.
"We did 85 zoom workshops between Sydney musicians and regional musicians during lockdown from my apartment.
"We also ran a couple of musical theatre workshops in Orange once lockdown lifted which were insanely popular.
"What we want UpStage to work towards is free and consistent opportunities, because in music for country kids, unlike sport, there isn't a ladder you can climb.
"You can do Eisteddfods here and there and get a bit of prizemoney, but even they are dying off and don't take you anywhere.
"Basically you can't build up to something out here unless you have a teacher to really push you and point you in the right direction - but they are in short supply...so that's where we want UpStage to come in," said Jessica.
Boy, you better believe we are excited for Overture here at the Parkes Champion Post!
To find out more about the event, head to https://visitparkes.com.au/events/overture/.
You can buy tickets at https://www.123tix.com.au/events/23498/overture.
Get in quick, because tickets are selling out fast!
Orchestra
- Violin - Orlando Bulmer (Bathurst), Stephanie Wong (Orange), Skye Elder (Dubbo), Larissa Elder (Dubbo), Caitlin Elder (Dubbo), Ruby Williams (Dubbo), Alexis Pfeiffer (Dubbo) and Isabel Wong (Orange)
- Viola - Carmel Kelly (Trundle)
- Cello - Reuben Ian Kelly (Trundle)
- Clarinet - Phoebe Wong (Orange) and Kayla Hall (Cowra)
- Flute - Eloise Milne (Orange) and Sophie McGrath (Parkes)
- Saxophone - Anabelle van Wyk (Orange and Parkes)
- Trumpet - Naomi Wright (Orange)
- Drums - Louis Johnson (Cowra)
- Piano - Joseph Tanswell (Parkes)
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