News
WADO delivers a moving performance for a worthy cause
Tuesday September 3, 2024
On Sunday 1 September, the Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre at St Hilda’s Anglican School was once again filled with the joy of music as the WA Doctors Orchestra performed their 11th biennial concert.
The orchestra made up of fifty passionate medical professionals and a few professional musicians, performed to an audience of friends, family, and supporters, all while raising funds for the Saba Rose Button Foundation, a charity supporting children with additional needs across Western Australia.
Conducted by Mark Coughlan, renowned conductor, pianist, artistic director, gallery owner and educator, this year’s concert opened with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture. The piece began with the gentle sound of the string section, which gradually evolved into a dynamic interplay of serious and light-hearted musical elements, showcasing the orchestra’s full range. The balance between the sections was well executed, setting a promising tone for the rest of the concert.
The evening’s highlight came with the second piece, Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Featuring Emily Leung, a final-year medical student at UWA and internationally acclaimed violinist, the audience was transported through a vivid landscape of melodies, blending traditional classical forms with exotic Spanish elements. Her expressive performance, coupled with the orchestra’s powerful accompaniment, was well-received and resulted in highly enthusiastic applause. Emily’s mastery was further showcased in a surprise encore—a tango etude by Astor Piazzolla, an Argentinian who revolutionised traditional tango, reminding us of music’s power to transcend borders and touch hearts.
The concert concluded with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathétique.’ Introduced by Coughlan, the symphony’s deep emotional range was evident throughout the performance. The orchestra displayed a profound understanding of the work, particularly in the third movement’s powerful cadence, which was nicely balanced by the sombre, reflective tones of the final movement.
As is the case every time they perform, the WA Doctors Orchestra’s concert was about more than just great music—it was about making a difference. The funds raised were directed to the Saba Rose Button Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting children with additional needs and their families. Originally established to help Saba, a young girl with cerebral palsy due to an acquired brain injury, the foundation now offers programs like rehabME, rechargeME, and REGIONAL rehabME, which provide financial assistance for therapy, specialised equipment, parental respite, and in-home care throughout Western Australia.
