Driving along the main street of Oberon, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a just another quiet country town nestled in the Central Tablelands of NSW. But this November, if you’re passing through, you may be able to pick up the sounds of something unexpected.
For three days between 22-24 November, the town is set to host the Oberon Chamber Music Festival in the recently restored Malachi Gilmore Hall.
The festival will showcase some of Australia’s finest chamber musicians, with five captivating concerts throughout the weekend. Each performance will bring the masterpieces of chamber music to life, highlighting the extraordinary talent of these performers.
The internationally acclaimed Streeton Trio—featuring Bernadette Harvey on piano, Emma Jardine on violin, and Rachel Siu on cello—will perform a concert of Mozart and Brahms piano trios on Saturday afternoon. They will be joined by Oberon’s own Peter Jenkin on clarinet and then, along with Sydney Symphony Orchestra principal players Tobias Breider on viola and Kees Boersma on double bass, perform an evening concert titled All About That Bass, celebrating the extraordinary double bass.
The festival will also feature world-renowned mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms, accompanied by piano and strings for a late Sunday morning recital. Sydney musicians Katherine Lukey (violin) and Paul Ghica (cello) will join the ensemble for both Sunday concerts. A festival highlight, the Twin Celli concert on Sunday afternoon, will showcase two exquisite double-cello quintets, including the Australian premiere of a newly unearthed quintet by Brahms.
Artistic director Emma Jardine sees Oberon as a natural choice for a chamber music festival. “It’s such a beautiful part of the country – rolling hills, beautiful scenery, and now that the Malachi has been restored, it’s the perfect spot to hold a chamber music festival.”
The town is no stranger to chamber music. Between 1997 to 2007 it was home to the Kowmung Music Festival. Organisers were keen to use the art-deco Malachi as a venue, but the building was being used as a warehouse at the time.
Built in 1937 by the Catholic church for the people of Oberon, the Malachi Gilmore Hall is one of the most striking examples of inter-war architecture in Australia. Its thirteen flat rooves make for an eye-catching silhouette on the main street.
For 45 years it faithfully served the community as a dance hall, cinema and rollerskating rink. In 1982, it went the way of many regional dance halls and picture theatres and was forced to close its doors. Locals successfully campaigned to have the Hall listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
In 2018 the building was purchased by Lucy and Johnny East. While art deco theatres elsewhere were being reimagined as apartments or offices, Lucy East was determined to revive the building as a multi-use arts space, serving the community as it was originally intended.
With its superb acoustics, enhanced by the original unpainted caneite ceiling, it is an ideal venue for chamber music. “The musicians are off the stage, down with the audience surrounding them,” explains East. “Suddenly you’re right inside, you can see the music on the music stand, and you can feel the energy and the intelligence and the musicality flying out of the musicians.”
Violinist Emma Jardine understands the important role of the audience to a create an unforgettable performance. “One thing I love about performing chamber music in an intimate venue is how much we can feed off the energy of the audience,” Jardine says. “Audience members bring energy to the performance as much as the musicians do. And a venue like the Malachi makes such a difference – it can turn a good performance into something absolutely magical.”
“The audience will, I hope, come along on the ride, get involved in the concert, and be moved by it.”
East hopes that the immersive qualities of chamber music will entice as many locals as visitors to the performances. The program includes a free twilight Community Gala concert on Friday 22 November. 5.30pm and a schools’ performance for the local primary, high school and the nursing home. Music specialist and animateur Andy Bromberger will also feature over the weekend, giving pre-concert talks at the Malachi.
The free events are generously sponsored by Oberon Council and the festival is supported by the Oberon Business and Tourism Association.
With celebrated works by Schubert to the premiere of newly discovered music by Brahms, Oberon Chamber Music Festival promises magical performances at a unique venue, for locals and visitors alike.
Pictured above: The Streeton Trio, featured artists at the Oberon Chamber Music Festival (Image – Lucy East)
