And a big round of applause for Van Diemen’s Band

Tasmania has a thrilling new music ensemble.

Launched last evening at the Handmark Gallery in Salamanca Place, Van Diemen’s Band is the brain child of Australia’s leading baroque violinist Julia Fredersdorff and comprises some of this island and the Big Island’s finest period instrumentalists.

Ever since the unhappy exit of Hobart Baroque, fans of music from the golden era of classical composition, roughly mid 17th century to mid 18th, have been on a slender diet of live performance.

Given the enthusiastic turnout for the launch and the reassuring presence of Arts Minister Vanessa Goodwin, feisty philanthropist Graeme Wood and other barocchisti, that situation is about to change.

Of course money is the challenge. Check out the group’s handsome Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/vdiemensband/ ) and note the optimism expressed therein as well as the eager faces of the participants.

And their website ( https://vandiemensband.com.au/ )

STOP PRESS

Tasmanian Times is pleased to announce that two of this island’s leading classic music figures, baroque violinist, the aforementioned Julia Fredersdorff, and her partner, ABC Classic FM’s stellar broadcaster, Christopher Lawrence, both refugees from the mainland, were quietly married this weekend in the garden of their home at Ferntree with only the celebrant and four witnesses present, two mandatory ones and their two young daughters. Congratulations. Bravi tutti.

*Leo Schofield AM, Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, D. Litt (honoris causa), is a festival director (thirteen in all!), journalist, foodie, culture vulture and still energetic octogenatian. He lives in Sydney but has lived in London, New York, Brewarrina, Melbourne, Brisbane and Kempton. Despite an ill-conceived comment spoken in anger he loves Tassie, keeps in touch via Tasmanian Times, has some lovely, loyal, understanding friends there and can’t wait to get back next week to hear the magnificent Nina Stemme as Isolde, a role he heard her sing on stage at the Vienna Staatsoper a couple of years back and was completely bouleversée.