MUSIC in the Regions is coming to Coramba and Dorrigo as the program returns to the Mid-North Coast on its Winter Tour.

This year’s musicians are Alicia Crossley on recorder and Joshua Hill on percussion, known collectively as Duo Blockstix.

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The pair will perform the world premiere of a new work by Anne Boyd as part of their Sylvan Soundscapes program.
Their performance explores themes of love, reflection, magic, and even pencils.

Following a successful 2022 tour with Andrew Blanch and Emily Granger, this year’s musicians bring together music from medieval minstrels, baroque madrigal masters, and contemporary composers.

Alicia Crossley from Duo Blockstix told News Of The Area, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform Sylvan Soundscapes for audiences of the Mid North Coast on our upcoming MiTR tour.

“We have not had a chance to perform in the area since 2014 when we performed at the Bellingen Music Festival.

“We are looking forward to exploring the picturesque historic towns of Dorrigo and Coramba, meeting the locals and sharing our music with classical music lovers.

“We hear Dorrigo National Park and the Coramba Hotel are essential places to visit,” she said.

Music in the Regions general manager and producer, Ian Whitney, said, “Alicia has made me think of the recorder in new and exciting ways, and this duo with Joshua is such a unique exploration of these instruments.

“It’s great to be coming back to the Mid-North,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our audiences again; and also meeting new community presenter partners and returning to some familiar faces.”

Alicia added, “recorders and percussion instruments are some of the most familiar instruments to audiences, with many people having had their first music education experiences with these instruments.

“However, audiences rarely get to see these instruments performing together on the concert hall stage.

“Our concerts will present virtuosic works for recorder and percussion from across the ages, from 12th Century minstrel music to a freshly-composed work by Australian composer Anne Boyd, so new, the ink is still drying on the score,” she said.

“We look forward to meeting all the classical music lovers on this tour and sharing this wonderful repertoire with audiences.”

Tickets are free for under 18s, please visit www.musicintheregions.com

Music in the Regions comes to Coramba Community Hall on Saturday 29 June at 3pm.

Their performance in Dorrigo is at the Old Gazette Theatre at 4pm on Sunday 30 June, in partnership with Dorrigo Dramatic Club.

Music in the Regions (MitR) is an independent touring organisation established in 2022 to connect classical musicians with regional audiences and facilitate transformative musical experiences across NSW.

These musicians will perform in areas not traditionally visited, reinvigorating regional venues into concert venues, and fostering a vibrant, world-class NSW classical music industry.

MitR is supported by the NSW Government via Create NSW, and through private philanthropy.

By Andrea FERRARI