(Capital of Australia Mandolinata Inc.) was formed late in 2005 and incorporated on 10 May 2006. We welcome players of plucked stringed instruments (mandolin and guitar families, double bass and associated instruments) to join with us and enjoy the playing of the wide range of repertoire available to ensembles like ours.

We rehearse weekly at 7.00pm - 9.30pm on Wednesdays in the Performing Arts Building, Marist College Canberra, Marr St, Pearce, ACT.

If you are interested in attending, please phone 0421 043 082 for more information.

Email: secretary@cozmo.org.au

is a member of FAME (Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles) and a member of FAA (Folk Alliance of Australia)

 

Some of the jolly members of at a recent rehearsal!!

 

(1) To promote community involvement in the formation and ongoing development of the Capital of Australia Mandolinata (COZMO), an orchestra of plucked stringed instruments, including by:

(a) producing and publicising a list of the orchestra’s coming events in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and region;

(b) organising visits by like groups, orchestras and individuals from interstate and overseas;

(c) organising workshops;

(d) helping coordinate teachers of mandolin and related instruments in the ACT and region, and assist those teaching in whatever way possible;

(2) To encourage the orchestra to achieve the highest musical standards possible;

(3) To promote and facilitate, within the orchestra, the training of its players and conductor;

(4) To encourage the composition and arrangement of music for mandolin orchestra; and

(5) To be a registered orchestra with the Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles (FAME) and to represent the interests of individual members of the association who are registered with FAME.

 

 

 

 

Our Newest Arrival

Welcome to Peter Mudge, a 17 year old double bass player (and bassoonist), who had his introduction to last week, and survived the first rehearsal with flying colours! ! :)

Music at the Creek Festival

Friday 16 – Sunday 18 November 2007. has been accepted to perform at The Creek! We’ll be playing on Sunday 18 November, late morning (exact time still to be advised). All performers will be given a weekend ticket (the Early Bird price is $55 this year) which includes camping. This is a really great local festival, and for people who have never been to it, it's a great opportunity to enjoy some wonderful folk, blues and world music!

 

Welcome to Dianne Cross and (welcome back to) Sharon Casey on 1st mandolin and especially to Andrew Botha on guitar. Dianne's vast experience will be of enormous benefit to the ensemble and her dry wit.will be enjoyed by all. Sharon will add her Celtic flavoured mandolin to the firsts, while Andrew, joining the guitar section, will help fill out the rhythm section (while further lowering our average age! :) As at August 2007, probably has the lowest mean age of any mandolin ensemble in Australasia - we're really aiming to fulfill the FAME objective of encouraging young mandolinists.

Gig at Kawaree Lodge

played at Kawaree Lodge on Sunday 19 August at 2.00pm.What a great gig! Despite some members not being present due to emergencies and hospital incarcerations, we played really well, and the audience was highly appreciative, requesting the Tango Appassionata as an encore. Our first performance of Handel's Suite No. 4 went off without a hitch. Congratulations, everyone! :) Photos will be available shortly, courtesy of Christine Allon.

Sydney International Mandolin Festival

Sunday 6 – Sunday 13 January 2008:

will be providing a generous subsidy to each full-time dependent student and pensioner COZMOnaut attending,(as far as we know, the only FAME ensemble to offer this), and FAME is also offering a generous subsidy to participating students. has inexpensive off-site accommodation organised. Members can refer to previous Notes issues for further information.

Also, check out the Festival website: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~fameweb/FAMESydney2008.htm for full details of the Festival.

Past News

Semester 2 2007 Rehearsals

will be rehearsing at MCC for Semester 2 rehearsals from 25 July. Rehearsals this year have been quite exciting, as we have added many new, varied and challenging pieces.

Mandolins Victoria's Music Week: MV07

A joint venture of the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra and Concordia Guitar and Mandolin Ensemble, MV07 took place in Melbourne from 8 - 14 January 2006. Two members of attended, and enjoyed the week enormously.

Christmas Celebrations

nauts celebrated the end of their first year as an ensemble and also celebrated the festive season with drinks and a BBQ on Wednesday 27 December at the home of its President, Col Bernau.

Sydney Balalaika Orchestra in Concert

On the weekend of 9 and 10 December 2006, we hosted the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra in Canberra for a Saturday workshop and Sunday concert. The weekend went really well, with the workshop held at Marist College on Saturday, and the concert on Sunday held at Canberra Grammar (Monaro Crescent Red Hill) in the Tim Murray Theatre.

The workshop involved members of the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra, and members of the public. Pieces played included "The Birch Tree" and "In the Village" from the repertoire of the SBO, and we contributed Russell Reinhardt's "AGREP Tango" and his arrangement of Faure's "Romance sans Paroles" (Thank you, Russell :) ). After a rewarding four hours of rehearsal and a wonderful lunch, we retired to a well-deserved dinner and hours of convivial conversation.

Sunday brought the concert, and with it, horribly hot weather. Luckily the Tim Murray Theatre is well airconditioned, and after a 90 minute setup and sound check, we welcomed an eager audience who enjoyed an amazing concert from the SBO. Members of and those who attended the workshop were fortunate enough to be invited to play on the two pieces that we'd workshopped the previous day.

The SBO is a Sydney-based not-for-profit orchestra, established in 1966 to play and promote traditional Russian folk music. This internationally-acclaimed orchestra and has toured on numerous occasions to China, the birthplace of its outstandingly talented Musical Director Victor Serghie and one of its founding members Vladimir (Volodya) Savitsky. The SBO has also toured Russia - most recently in July 2005 to both China and Russia - where they were such a huge success that they have been invited back in 2007! The orchestra is now busy holding concerts in Australia to fund their return.

Volodya plays a Kazakhstani 4-string bass dombra and a Russian 3-string prima domra, amongst other instruments. He moved to Canberra a few years ago with his family but had not found a new orchestra to play with until he found last weekend. He has honoured its members by agreeing to join its ranks. Welcome, Volodya!

All the members of the SBO are superb musicians, as no doubt all in the audience last Sunday would agree. Of special interest are its youngest members, all of whom have been playing their instruments for a number of years - 17 year old Nikolai and 23-year old Melitsa, who both play the bayan (a kind of button accordion, which weigh 18 kgs each!), 17 year old multi-instrument percussionist Sonya, and 19 year old Robin who plays the prima domra. The SBO also has a virtuoso cymbalom player, Lucy Voronov, whose extraordinary skills have to be seen to be believed! Sonia Cece sings the SBO's repertoire of Russian folk songs with moving passion and lyrical skill, complementing and completing the rich and complex sounds of this brilliant group.

 

 

 

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Last updated 6 October 2007

Copyright © 2006 Col Bernau