If you felt inspired to play the bassoon after hearing Todd Gibson-Cornish at the launch of the Cambridge Town Hall season last week, be prepared for some hard work.
Ava Kirk, accompanied by Cambridge Town Hall general manager Simon Brew on the grand piano donated by Cambridge Lions and the Lloyd Morgan Charitable Trust with piano tuner Kevin Hanna from Hamilton Piano Company turning the song sheet, sings at the hall’s season launch held in association with the Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
But the resulting sound, particularly in a hall rapidly gaining kudos among musicians for its acoustics, is well worth the effort.
Todd is principal bassoon of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and now calls Cambridge home because his mother, Orchestras Central chief executive Catherine Gibson, lives there.
She plays the oboe while daughter Bryony plays viola in an international string quartet.
Todd waited nine years and paid several thousand dollars for his hand made maple bassoon. It is one of the hardest instruments to play because of the intense breathing control needed to blow air into the reed and play notes.
Todd Gibson-Cornish plays the bassoon at the Cambridge Town Hall season launch held in association with the Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
At times during his performance of Paginini, it looked like he would need a respirator at the end of it, but hard work and practice has made him into one of the world’s in-demand bassoonists.
Todd will next appear in the Town Hall in September as part of the Cambridge Chamber Music Festival one of several events unveiled at a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event.
It also featured St Peter’s School student Ava Kirk – who sang Stay by Rihanna – who will feature in the Teen Music Festival in July organised by her and fellow Battle of the Bands winner Georgia Davis.
Town Hall general manager Simon Brew, who himself will perform in a fundraiser concert later in the year, said world class performers as well as long running, much loved community events would be part of the season.
They would run while renovations in the Victoria and Edwardian rooms were completed.
They and the diverse range of events appealing to a broad range of people helped breathe new life into the hall, he told about 100 people gathered for the launch.
The premier concert series started after the launch with London-based singer songwriter Blair Jollands.
Other highlights include body building next month, a boxing fight night in July and a karaoke night in August.
Todd Gibson-Cornish plays the bassoon at the Cambridge Town Hall season launch held in association with the Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
