The 5th Newcastle Music Festival is under way, and music lovers are keen for experiences at Christ Church Cathedral and Adamstown Uniting Church.
The feature artist is violinist Susan Collins, who plays in three concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (August 2, 3 and 5).
Susan performs some of the greatest works written for violin, including the Partita No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach, with its famous final movement, the Chaconne. Baby boomers may hark back to Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Grumiaux or Jascha Heifetz as the touchstone of performance, while millennial music lovers may favour Joshua Bell, or Midori. Some come to the piece through guitar: the great Andrés Segovia first played his transcription of the work for classical guitar in Paris, back in 1935 (you can a 1959 version on Youtube). Susan brings her interpretation of the work to Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday night, by candlelight, at 7.30pm.
Susan performs on Tuesday night in a duo with acclaimed violist Patricia Pollett, performing Bruch's Double Concerto for viola and violin by Max Bruch. On Friday night, Susan's final appearance is with well-known local pianist Erin Sweetman, when they perform Beethoven's blockbuster piece for piano, the Kreutzer Sonata, at Adamstown Uniting Church
By the time she was 14, Susan was performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, uat the Sydney Opera House. She has since performed throughout Australia, the USA and Europe. Susan has recorded many times for ABC FM, and often appeared in the ABC's Sunday Live series.
Appointed Deputy Concertmaster of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra at the age of twenty-three, Susan worked with orchestras around Australia, performing under the baton of distinguished conductors, and with famous mentors, and holds many qualifications, including a Doctor of Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong.
In 2003 Susan was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for her work with Opera and Ballet, and in 2009 was awarded an Australian College of Educators award. Susan is Music Director of the Riverina Summer School for Strings and Sounds of Summer festival, Artistic Director of the Nova Muse Festival in Penguin, Tasmania, and teaches violin at Queensland Conservatorium.
If Newcastle had its own 'world orchestra', with musicians who grew up here under the influence of the Newcastle Conservatorium, they would fill a huge stage. Their careers could be traced back to the influence of Susan's father, whose life is celebrated in a violin scholarship each year by the Music Teachers' Association of Newcastle. The competition for four scholarships is again a feature of Newcastle Music Festival on August 6.
Visiting Newcastle is a homecoming for Susan, since she grew up in Newcastle, under the tuition of her father, the great teacher of violin, Errol Collins, OAM. His energetic life saw him play for the Queen, and record the album "Errol Collins and his Swinging Violin - Jazz to Gypsy". He was amusingly photographed standing on a chair, teaching the very tall actor Chips Rafferty the rudiments of violin technique.
Errol's wife Dorrilyn provided some background information about him. "Born in Merewether, where his grandfather had owned Glebe Colliery, Errol's father was an electrician, and his mother an artist. Errol's love of violin began with tuition at Tighes Hill Convent, then he followed his father's wishes by becoming a fitter and turner at Stewart's and Lloyd's, acquiring skills he proudly used throughout life."
"His heart being with violin, he undertook advanced study in Sydney. Leaving Stewart's and Lloyd's, Errol was delighted to accept a solo spot with the touring vaudevillian tent show "Barton's Follies"."
"Errol performed at sonata recitals, ABC broadcasts, musicales, civic, community, church, charity, and private functions, and established a teaching studio, then formed a Junior String Orchestra. When Newcastle Conservatorium opened in 1952, Sir Eugene Goosens appointed Errol a foundation member of staff. Later, Errol took leave to study in London, and returned to teach at Sydney and Newcastle Conservatories, and was examiner and teacher demonstrator with AMEB. During the 1970s, Errol, together with Rosemary Allen (piano), and Ray Cairney (guitar), performed light entertainment on the Sydney Club Circuit. But Newcastle was always his home."
Former Dean of Newcastle Conservatorium (1994-2005), Professor Robert Constable AM, remembers Errol. "For many decades Errol Collins was an important Newcastle string teacher, both of the violin and in directing the junior orchestra. In all, Errol's teaching career in Newcastle spanned some 44 years (1952-1996). Errol's foundation work with the junior orchestra continued after 1996 with Wendy Ireland OAM, who re-named the group "Hunter Strings". Now, some seventy years later, junior string orchestral activities continue with the work of David Banney and with the Newcastle Youth Orchestra program, directed by Ian Cook."
As Dorrilyn recalls, "Boating, fishing, photography, astronomy, archery/target shooting - and always books, were amongst Errol's interests and hobbies - even to the point of making a landing net, archery bow, and a telescopic lens. Errol lived life abundantly: his greatest loves being his family, his violin, and his beloved hometown." On Australia Day 2003 Errol Collins was awarded an OAM for service to the community of Newcastle through music.
