Bushranger’s Ballad

Description

Loreta Fin

Notes from the composer: “My mother often speaks of her grandmother, Annie Hall, who was the niece of Ben Hall, the famous Australian bushranger (or outlaw). Ben Hall was born in 1837. He and his associates carried out many raids across New South Wales. Unlike many bushrangers of the era, Ben Hall was not directly responsible for any deaths, although several of his associates were. He was killed by police in May 1865. Students might like to research more about bushrangers and outlaws. This melancholy ballad, in an e minor tonality, is reminiscent of early Australian bush music, based on Irish Folk tradition. It uses dotted rhythms and requires careful counting of rests. The piano part is optional but assists to keep the melody flowing.”

Grade: 2
Duration: 2’30”
Key: E minor

Loreta Fin (A.Mus.A., L.Mus.A., ATCL) studied violin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with Faina Krel, and before that, with Sr Margaret Short OSU and Emily Finn (former SSO violinist). Loreta was a first violinist with the Sydney Youth Senior Symphony Orchestra, and later tutored and conducted several of the groups within the Sydney Youth Orchestra Association. She taught at Sydney Grammar School before moving to Brisbane in 1988. At present, she is Director of Strings and Instrumental Music at Somerville House Girls’ School, a full-time position she has held since 1993. Loreta conducts and oversees the school’s 6 String Orchestras and smaller ensembles. There are over 500 students in the instrumental music program, which includes more than 200 string players from Years 3 to 12. All of the string ensembles have been successful in competitions over the years, having gained first places in various eisteddfods for several years running. In the last 10 years, Loreta’s ensembles have consistently received Platinum Awards at all levels – and the senior group, Somerville Strings, was the winner of the Orchestra Australia Award for Excellence in school orchestral music.