Spring Fling 2025

MSE Arietta Takes the Stage for the First Time at Spring Fling

MSE's Spring Fling returned this year for an afternoon of chamber music at St Stephen's Church - a relaxed, informal recital that's become a favourite fixture for musicians and families alike, and one that always highlights the individual hard work behind our ensemble program.

The undoubted highlight of the afternoon was the debut performance of MSE Arietta, our newest chamber group, under the direction of Naomi Durston. The ensemble opened with Larry Clark's Contredanse before moving into Stephen Chin's Bells of Genghis Kahn - a confident, polished first outing that had the audience eager to hear more from the group.

The rest of the program was, as always, a showcase of the breadth of talent across MSE's chamber groups. MSE Prelude, under Naomi Durston, opened proceedings with Molly Scott-Cameron's The Lonesome Cowpoke and Soon Hee Newbold's Terra and Fire and Ice from Elementa. MSE Intermezzo, directed by Rohan Mack, brought energy and flair with the Finale alla Zingarese from Robert Fuchs' Serenade No.3.

Danielle Arcaro's MSE Chamber groups featured three times across the afternoon, each bringing a different combination of players and repertoire: Joyce Zhang, Amberley Ishar, Selinna Wang and Nori Sasaki performed the first movement of Schubert's String Quartet No.13 in A minor, D.804; Chloe Au, Alexandria Miao and Cecilia Zhang gave a spirited account of the first movement of Mozart's Trio in E♭ Major, K498 "Kegelstadt"; and Nathaniel Zhong, Raymond Shi and Alexander Kehler closed the concert with the first movement of Dvořák's Terzetto in C, Op.74.

Events like Spring Fling are a reminder of the depth of individual commitment that sits alongside MSE's larger ensemble concerts - every piece on the program was rehearsed and prepared by the students themselves, in groups they'd formed and worked on outside of our regular rehearsal schedule. Congratulations to every musician who performed, and to MSE Arietta on a memorable first appearance.

Our thanks to St Stephen's Church for hosting us once again.