CAMRA highlights, year by year, 1997-2014

2014

on 26 July Colin Forbes continued his cycle of performances of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas
High Tea and Harmony was enjoyed on Saturday 13 September.

2013

In March CAMRA presented Music of Leoš Janáček, featuring The Diary of One Who Disappeared, (JW V/12, 1917-19), with Kent McIntosh, tenor, accompanied by Colin Forbes, piano.
Four performances in July of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni were well attended and much praised.
High Tea and Harmony was enjoyed on Saturdays 11 May, 24 August and 19 October.
Messiah by GF Handel concluded the year.

2012

Our performances in 2012 formed a series: "Saturday evenings at St Philip's".

On 5 May Colin Forbes played works for solo piano by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Christmas in Winter, on 28 July, was a performance of lieder and art song with a Christmas theme.
In PhDIVA, on 18th August, soprano Tanuja Doss, PhD AMusA, and Colin Forbes, piano, presented an evening of Mozart aria and Strauss lieder.
A Schubertiade on 22 September showcased favourite vocal and instrumental works by Franz Schubert (1797-1828), including the Fantasy in F minor for piano four-hands, D.940, Op. 103 (1828).
Chaos in the Choir: a comedy cabaret supper on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December, ushered in the silly season with some laughs and another fine supper from Food@St Philip's.
Folk duo, The Raven, supported by Frejya's Rain, sang original folk music in the English tradition on 22 December.

2011

Damsels and Dragons: an evening with Gilbert's women on Saturday 26 March, was a cabaret-style supper show, prepared by Patricia Whitebread with songs from many of the G & S operas humorously—and sometimes seriously—illustrating Gilbert's characterisation of women in his shows. Food@St Philip's excelled with a fine supper!.
The Sound of Musicals on 28 May was a fun-filled concert of family favourites from musical theatre performed by singing students of Madeleine Rowland. This was CAMRA's first show featuring children and the first created and directed by Madeleine.

2010

On Saturday 1 May CAMRA joined the St. Philip's singers to celebrate St Philip's Day with the Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo in B-flat major (Little Organ Mass) by Joseph Haydn, Hob. XXII:7.
Sundays 23 May, 30 May, 6 June and 13 June made up A Month of Sundays, four afternoon vocal concerts, each featuring four Canberra singers accompanied by Colin Forbes.
Crossover, presented on 24 and 26 June, was a highly amusing and finely song concert of men singing songs for women and women singing songs for men!
On 31 July, The Wilhelm Quartet from the Royal Academy of Music, London — Marciana Buta (violin), Margaret Dziekonski (violin), Glen Donnelly (viola) and Hetty Snell (cello) — joined with Colin Forbes (piano) for quartets by Beethoven and Schumann, followed by the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor.
On 2 and 4 September 2010, CAMRA staged an Opera Double Bill with Bastien and Bastienne, K.50/46b (1768) by W.A. Mozart and Dido and Aeneas, Z.626 (1689) by Henry Purcell, directed by Colin Forbes and Patricia Whitbread and and conducted by Matthew Stuckings, with soloists and chorus.

2009

In March, CAMRA and Igitur Nos combined for two performances of JS Bach's St John Passion.
Twinsets & Pearls, a gala cabaret supper on 18th and 19th April was a smash hit and the supper was sumptuous.
CAMRA supported Classical Opera-tives' presentation of highlights from WA Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito and June the two groups jointly produced Arias and Scenes — from Mozart's Don Govanni and The Magic Flute.
Also in June, Colin Forbes presented a recital of Beethoven's piano sonatas, continuing a series he began in 2008.
Distinguished English tenor Stephen Anthony Brown, formerly of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, visited Canberra in October to present masterclasses, workshops and concerts for CAMRA The most successful Polish up your G & S ! workshop on 23-25 October culminated in an outstanding Sunday evening concert, presenting the work studied at the workshop! On 27 October, Stephen Anthony Brown and Colin Forbes gave a brilliant recital of songs by Sir Arthur Sullivan and his contemporaries, Five Knights and a Gondola.

2008

In June CAMRA performed Ordo Virtutum (The Play of the Virtues) by Hildegard von Bingen.
In November, superb Canberra singers werer featured in a concert of highlights from Mozart's comic opera Così fan Tutte.
On 7th December, Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols was performed, with Tegan Peemoeller, harpist, as part of an Advent service at St. Philip's.

2007

In its 10th anniversary year, CAMRA gave four sell-out performances of Mozart's Opera The Marriage of Figaro in August.
Handels's Messiah was presented in December.

2006

While visiting from the UK, Soprano Amanda Forbes gave a superb solo recital for CAMRA.
GF Handel's Messiah was again presented.

2005

Fully staged performances of Hildegard of Bingen's Ordo Virtutum (the Ritual of the Virtues) were presented, with a new English libretto by Patria Whitbread and Colin Forbes.
CAMRA's first performances of GF Handel's Messiah were directed by Colin Forbes.

2004

Gilbert & Sullivan's The Sorcerer was a major production.
A performance of JS Bach's St John Passion was another significant achievement.

2003

Our production of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera received a 2003 Canberra Critics' Circle Award.

2002

2001

Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience confirmed CAMRA as a successful presenter of G. & S.

2000

In November 2000, Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolanthe was CAMRA's first full theatrical production.

1997-98

The Canberra Academy of Music and Related Arts was launched with WA Mozart's complete piano sonatas performed on fortepiano by CAMRA's director, Colin Forbes, between July 1998 and July 2000.