Media Release: Van Diemen's Band Presents the Xyris Quartet in Beguiling Sounds of Vintage Saxophones at Lunchbox Series

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 Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 14, 2024


Media Contact: 

Samuel Cairnduff:  samuel.j.cairnduff@gmail.com | 0401 396 755


Van Diemen's Band Presents the Xyris Quartet in Beguiling Sounds of Vintage Saxophones at Lunchbox Series

Concert features works by Northern Tasmanian composers



LAUNCESTON– On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the Xyris Quartet will captivate audiences with a program featuring the beguiling sounds of vintage saxophones at the Princess Theatre as part of the Van Diemen's Band Lunchbox Series.


The concert will showcase the artistry of Benjamin Price on soprano saxophone, Jabra Latham on alto saxophone, Thomas McKay on tenor saxophone, and Eva Nilssen on baritone saxophone. The program will include music by the legendary composer J.S. Bach, as well as new works by Tasmanian composers.


Highlights of the program include "Down Longford Way" from Katharine (Kitty) Parker's "Four Musical Sketches for Piano," arranged for saxophone quartet by Jabra Latham. Parker, born and raised in Longford, Tasmania, was a student and friend of the renowned composer Percy Grainger, who praised her work as displaying "sheer genius."


The concert will also feature selections from "Emerald Boa" by Karlin G. Love, a work inspired by the composer's love for emerald boas and green pythons. The piece explores a range of musical styles, including cool jazz, a raucous march, and a complex, aggressive finale.


Tickets for the Van Diemen's Band Lunchbox Series are just $10 online ($15 at the door) and offer a unique opportunity for office workers and city shoppers to enjoy high-quality classical music during their lunch break. The concerts are held every Wednesday at 1:05 pm at the Princess Theatre, with each performance lasting approximately 45 minutes.


Don't miss the chance to discover the beguiling sounds of vintage saxophones with the Xyris Quartet on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the Princess Theatre. Tickets are available online at [Concert Series Website].


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About the Van Diemen's Band Lunchbox Series:

The Van Diemen's Band Lunchbox Series is a weekly event that brings the State's best musicians, as well as visitors from interstate and overseas, to the Princess Theatre in [Your City]. Concerts are held every Wednesday at 1:05 pm and last approximately 45 minutes, allowing office workers and city shoppers to enjoy high-quality classical music during their lunch break.


Tickets are just $15 if paying by cash at the door, but even cheaper if purchased online (vandiemensband.com.au) – just $10 per concert.


I can’t believe I can fit a musical experience like this into the middle of my day for

ten dollars. It’s wild!  - Lunchbox Concert audience member


Video here.


Press are invited to review

  • Van Diemen’s Band images available here.

  • Full concert details available here.

  • Video here.


vandiemensband.com.au


LISTINGS INFORMATION 


Van Diemen's Band Lunchbox Series

CONCERT 4: WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE - XYRIS QUARTET

PRINCESS THEATRE, LAUNCESTON

57 Brisbane St, Launceston TAS 7250

Concerts start at 1.05pm 

(to allow people to come from their offices if they're on a lunch break).


TICKETS

Pre-booked / Friends of Theatre North $10.00

Door sales $15.00

Companion Card Holder Free


Bookings

https://theatrenorth.com.au/lunchbox-concerts-24


Van Diemen's Band—Based in the wild and unspoiled island state of Tasmania at the southernmost tip of Australia, Australia's Baroque supergroup Van Diemen's Band breathes new life into historically informed performance, delivering extraordinary performances across lutruwita / Tasmania and beyond. 


Van Diemen's Band is made up of some of the country's most highly respected early music specialists, who between them have worked with leading ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants, Les Talens Lyriques, Ensemble Pygmalion, Il Pomo d'Oro, Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, The English Concert, Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Le Parlement de Musique, and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.


Founded in 2016 by violinist Julia Fredersdorff, VDB varies in size from an intimate chamber group to a larger orchestra. VDB explores the creativity and expressiveness of the baroque while deferring to historical sources on style and instrumentation. 


Always seeking to break new ground, VDB has collaborated with guest artists such as French Baroque specialist Martin Gester, Persian/Afghani musicians Ensemble Kaboul and Tasmanian mandolin player Luke Plumb, and released a music video, Song of the Birds, in 2021.


VDB has performed for Ten Days on the Island, Dark Mofo and Mona Foma, toured nationally for Musica Viva Australia and internationally for Chamber Music New Zealand, and has recorded for ABC Classic and the prestigious Swedish label BIS. 


VDB is also an active concert presenter in lutruwita/Tasmania, presenting Lunchbox Concerts in nipaluna/Hobart and pataway/Burnie, and delivers a range of education and community engagement programs each year.


Media Contact

Samuel Cairnduff 

samuel.j.cairnduff@gmail.com

0401 396 755

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