Orchestral music in the garden

GEORGE NEWS - Carpe Musicam! Orchestra will present its first concert in George since the all entertainment and cultural activities came to a complete halt during the nationwide lockdown. They broke their silence with a concert at the Mossel Bay Town Hall last weekend - the very first one since December last year.

This coming Sunday's concert in George will take place in the Garden Route Botanical Garden.

"Bring your own chair, blanket and picnic basket - there is plenty of room to spread out, relax and enjoy the sights of the garden and the sounds of the Garden Route's very own orchestra," said conductor Norman Carless.

"The programme is a 90-minute celebration of life, love and just about everything else; an appropriate theme as we totter out of lockdown and try to find our feet in a much changed, but very familiar world.

"As always our music is audience-friendly, our presentation light-hearted and the atmosphere relaxed."

The music ranges from a swing-style version of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, to a Paul McCartney number in the manner of the American march king JP Sousa.

There are also a samba by Mozart, the world's most recognisable Uruguayan tango, numbers made famous by Rodgers and Hart, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. Especially not to be missed is the new arrangement of Sir Edward Elgar's Salut d'amour, hauntingly played by orchestra leader Cherith Bain.

The concert starts at 15:00, tickets cost R50 (adults) while under 18s enter free. Profits will be shared equally between the orchestra and the garden.

The music ranges from a swing-style version of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, to a Paul McCartney number in the manner of the American march king JP Sousa.