Review: Rhythm & Reverie on 28th March 2026

---

King clarinetist claims throne from the greats

GUEST clarinetist David Griffiths made a remark at Saturday’s concert that he wished he had lived when jazz greats Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman were alive, when “the clarinet was king”.

But for the entire audience attending the Great Barrier Reef Orchestra’s Rhythm and Reverie concert on Saturday night, it was David Griffiths who proved in this case that he was “king”.

Appearing as a guest clarinetist, Griffiths gave what can only be described as a magnetic and mesmerising central performance which drew rapturous applause. Not only was he technically brilliant, but he displayed a dexterity and confidence with the clarinet that seemed to transcend a mere instrumental performance. He seemed to reach into his very soul and engage every emotion and part of his physical being to deliver a series of performances that showed his breadth of range from classics to jazz.

With the orchestra under the baton of conductor Richard Davis, this concert was an eclectic, accessible and ultimately hugely enjoyable program which saw Townsville’s orchestra perform everything from musical theatre to classics, jazz and folk music.

The program commenced with the overture from Leonard Bernstein’s 1957 musical operetta, Candide. A popular piece for orchestra, this bright and up-tempo semiclassical curtain raiser was the perfect start to the performance.

Then it was time for one of my favourite classical pieces – Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, completed a few weeks before his death in 1791. David Griffiths contributed an engaging and seemingly effortless performance of this concerto, accurately evoking the emotions that the concerto seems to suggest.

The second half of the concert began with the “blues” segment from George Gershwin’s 1928 An American in Paris. Arranged by Michele Mangani, this segment highlighted the clarinet and began with Griffiths entering and playing from the wings to add an eclectic and fun touch to the program.

Written in 1926, George Gershwin’s Prelude No 2 was originally a piano piece, but the orchestra performed it in a special arrangement by Sean O’Boyle. There were clear overtones in this short piece of Gershwin’s legendary 1935 folk opera, Porgy and Bess, but it was the next piece that really drew enormous applause from the audience.

Legendary bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw wrote his Clarinet Concerto as a way of combining a classical orchestra with a big band. David Griffiths did not disappoint, faithfully and expressively delivering the opening and closing cadenzas with verve and accuracy.

Griffiths went on to deliver an evocative folk piece by Béla Kovács entitled Shalom-alekhem, rov Feidman. A delightful work, this piece is a tribute to the tradition of what is known as the “klezmer clarinet”. Klezmer is the traditional folk music of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe.

Colloquially referred to as the second national anthem of Mexico and written by Mexican composer, Arturo Márquez, Danzón No. 2 was a vigorous conclusion to the program, followed by an encore of Leonard Bernstein’s Mambo from West Side Story. An outstanding program highlighting the virtuosic work of a magnetic guest performer.