21-23 JUNE 2024

PRESS RELEASE July 22nd – The Robert Burns Celtic Festival Committee is presenting a “Burns Beyond Scotland” event at Wuurong Cottage, Dr John and Carolyn Menzies are hosting this Winter Soiree that will see International Scottish Tenor Alan Beck, Pianist Jane McSween and Howlin’ Wind perform on Wednesday the 31st July.

Dr Menzies said that having Alan Beck perform in Camperdown will round off what has been a very successful Robert Burns Celtic Festival. Mr Beck is in Australia and performing at the Melbourne Tartan Festival. Tenor Alan Beck studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He later won the entrance scholarship to the Postgraduate Opera Course at the Royal Northern College of Music. In 1995 Alan won the British Wagner Society Singing Competition at Covent Garden and was subsequently awarded the society’s Bayreuth Bursary. Later that year, he also won the Wolfgang Wagner Singing Competition in London in front of Dr Wagner and Dame Gwyneth Jones.

He made his operatic début in 1995 for Opera Ireland and was a principal tenor with the State Opera, Stuttgart from 1996 to 2002, singing many roles in the German and central European repertoire. Alan has also sung principal tenor roles for Lyric Opera Dublin and the Carl Rosa Opera and in 2002 he made his début as Siegmund in Wagner’s Die Walküre at the London Coliseum for English National Opera. Most recently he has been busy singing with Welsh National Opera as Bacchus in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and appearing as Eisenstein in Haddo House Opera’s 60th anniversary production of Die Fledermaus.

Alan has sung all over the world – throughout Australia, New Zealand, South America, USA, Canada and Europe as well as in the UK and all over Scotland. Alan is also a keen composer and has had three children’s musicals commissioned by Creative Scotland. His latest composition was chosen to close Education Scotland’s launch of the new National Framework for Singing at the Royal Concert Hall and was performed by over 2,000 children. As a teacher Alan has taught at the RCS, the RNCM and Scottish Opera.

Local Musical Director of the Lakes and Crater Band Jane McSween will be accompanying Alan on the piano, her musicality and experience brings a wonderful touch to this special night.

Also performing is Howlin’ Wind, the international flute player and composer; Australia’s most innovative and expressive exponent of the flute. Howlin’ aims to “give the flute a far more vocal, more passionate, and vastly more expressive sound” through his own composition, performances, and recordings. His flute compositions have been used in many films and TV series, including Peter Garret’s Shoalhaven Bay”, Fred Hollows’ Life and Times, Channel 9 TV series Ray Martin Gallipoli Special, many Brian Naylor’s Travel Shows, Getaway, The Great Outdoors and many of Burkes Backyard Films. Howlin’ recorded six albums for Sony Music which became major sellers on the Sony Masterworks Label. He is also the author of a highly respected recorder tuition book “Recorder Technique”. Howlin’s music combines sophisticated classical traditions with earthy folk roots and an implicit understanding of Australia’s indigenous song lines.

Dr Menzies said “this evening is an opportunity for the Robert Burns Celtic Festival to thank the festival Sponsors” and another opportunity to Showcase International performers in Camperdown.”

The Evening starts at 6.30 pm with a delicious meal; entree, main and sweets, wine and then after dinner folk can enjoy a winter evening’s concert. Cost $40.00 per person. Bookings essential on Trybooking.com/CTQUO or by contacting Catherine O’Flynn on 0407 056 126