Seventy guests enjoyed The Arts Centre Cootamundra's evening of musical celebration and dinner last Friday night, organised and arranged by musician and teacher Alison Patterson.
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The evening's star attractions were performances by William and Matthew, 18-year-old twins who only days previously had sat their HSC music exams. They performed piano pieces they had been practicing for that particular rite of passage.
William played "Study in C Minor" by Edgar Ford, which he performed at last year's Wagga Eisteddfod, winning a prestigious trophy. This was followed by an arrangement of music from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, with an introduction he composed himself.
Matthew played six variations on an original theme by Beethoven, and a piano arrangement of Vivaldi's "Winter".
Pianist Stewart Bruce played pre-dinner piano, with Alison Patterson and Eliza Cowell playing piano duet pieces "Kaleidoscope Colours" by Faber and a traditional Russian sailor dance.
Eliza Cowell also played a Basho haiku set to music by Faber, and "Mouses or Meece" by the same composer.
The Cootamundra Concert Band played the Australian folk song "Kookaburra", a Ukranian folk song and "Paseo Del Oro" (Walk of God) by Erickson.
Other performers in the evening included: Phil Chadwick, who played Amazing Grace on alto saxophone, and "Tri times" by Cowles and Kay Bird, who played an arrangement of Elgar's Nimrod on flute.
The concert concluded with a euphonium piece played by Alison Patterson, accompanied on piano by Stewart Bruce. It was Capuzzi's "Andante and Rondo".
Twins William and Matthew have been playing since they were eight, taught by Mrs Patterson.
Dinner on the evening was a delicious three-course meal prepared by Isabel Scott and other Arts Centre volunteers, and served by seven volunteer waitresses under the supervision of Ozzie Campbell of Dusty Road.
The Year 9 girls volunteered as part of their studies in food technology, gaining experience in hospitality, serving tables, clearing plates and general operations of a venue in an event-style situation.
They were presented with certificates of appreciation by the Arts Centre.
"They did well," Mr Campbell said, "I'm not sure it was a difficult job but they were all looked after their customers well and were very efficient."
The evening, a fundraising event for TACC, was a significant success in TACC's ongoing program. The next major event will be "Cheek to Cheek", a celebration of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, on Sunday October 13.
