December tends to be a quieter month musically. The university music programs have finished for the year, the national tours have ceased and organisations are winding up and preparing for next year. 

Fortunately Tura New Music doesn’t follow these rules and have two major events this month! The first is the Keith Tippet residency. Tippet is a UK based pianist described as one of the most radical pioneers in improvisation and contemporary jazz. He will perform a solo concert Rehearsal Room on December 1st at the State Theatre and Mujician Mosaic on the 7th featuring the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, iMprov and the specially formed Mujician Mosaic ensemble.

Tura will also host the final Scale Variable Concert for the year featuring the debut of Intercurrent, a group including Louise Devenish, Ashley William-Smith and Emily Green-Armytage. The stunning Darkened Descent program on the 14th at the State Theatre includes works by Lachlan Skipworth, Mortan Feldman and John Luther Adams.

The WA Symphony Orchestra are also going strong, with a concert with Missy Higgins in Kings Park on the 3rd December plus a performance of Handel’s Messiah on the 2/3rd with English conductor Stephen Layton (City of London Sinfonia). WASO concludes their year with the popular free performance Symphony in the Park on the 10th at Langley Park.

To get us into the Christmas spirit there is what looks like a beautiful choral concert on the 16th by Voyces featuring Emma Matthews singing traditional and new carols at St Joseph’s Subiaco.
And that’s the year wrapped up!
I’ll soon be reflecting back on all the gigs that have been and picking out some favourites… do you have any standout shows I should include in my 2016 highlights?
And stay tuned because I’ll soon be posting all the programs for 2017 so you can start booking your concert diary.