previous programmes

TOPS is an community orchestra based in Sydney, Australia.

We present large symphonic works rarely tackled by amateur orchestras. TOPS play in venues such as Sydney Town Hall and occasionally tour regional NSW.

2008

13th Apr 2008
Singleton

Mozart: Don Giovanni Overture

Mozart: Flute Concerto in G
Flute: Jane Cavanagh

Mozart: Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"

9th Mar 2008
Parramatta Town Hall

Bernstein: Candide Overture

Copland: Rodeo

Britten: Young Persons' Guide to the Orchestra
Conductor:    Sarah-Grace Williams

Joe Wolfe: Sydney Sketches

Kohne: Powerhouse

Berlioz: Hungarian March

2007

28th Oct 2007
Sydney Town Hall

Handel: Dettingen Te Deum

Mussorgsky: Coronation Scene from Boris Godunov

Wagner: Final Scene from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
All with Bass:   James Homann

Puccini: Final Scene from Turandot

Wagner: Prelude to Act 3 from Lohengrin
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

Bizet: Toreador’s Song from Carmen
Conductor: Steven Hillinger
Bass:   James Homann

Peter Allen: Boy from Oz Medley (arr. Howard)

14th Sep 2007
Joan Sutherland Centre, Penrith

Beethoven: Egmont Overture

Beethoven: Triple Concerto Op. 56
Violin: Maria Lindsay
Piano:  Daniel Herscovitch
Cello:  Thomas Tsai     (The Apollo Trio)

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

26th Aug 2007
Sydney Town Hall

Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2

Sculthorpe: Earth Cry
Didgeridoo: William Barton

Howard: Earth, the Bringer of Life
Conductor: Graham Howard

Howard: Cape York
Conductor: Graham Howard

Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (Berceuse and Finale)
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

17th Jun 2007
Australian Film and Television School

A Place By the Sea soundtrack recording

3rd Jun 2007
Macquarie University

Sibelius: Karelia Suite
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
Violin: Richard Pulley
Conductor: Brendan Cooper

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E Minor
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

11th Mar 2007
Parramatta Town Hall

Wagner: Overture to The Flying Dutchman

Rossini: Una Voce Poco Fa from The Barber of Seville

Rossini: Cruda Sorte! from The Italian Girl in Algiers

Delibes: The Flower Duet from Lakmé

Bizet: Suite and arias from Carmen
All conducted by: Sarah-Grace Williams

Purcell: Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas

Handel: Verdi Prati from Alcina

Mozart: Voi Che Sapete, Non So Piu & Dove Sono from Le nozze di Figaro

Humperdinck: Sandman’s Song, Duet and Dream Pantomime from Hänsel and Gretel

Saint-Saëns: Softly Wakes my Heart from Samson and Delilah

Puccini: Un Bel Di from Madama Butterfly
Mezzo-soprano: Sally-Anne Russell
Soprano: Samantha Cobcroft

2006

29th Oct 2006
Sydney Town Hall

Mozart: Requiem K.626

Shostakovich: The Gadfly Suite Op.97a (excerpts)
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

Elgar: Coronation Ode Op. 44

Sondheim: Bring in the Clowns

Traditional: La Bamba

3rd Sep 2006
Oxley College,
Bowral

Beethoven: Triple Concerto Op. 56
Violin: Maria Lindsay
Piano:  Daniel Herscovitch
Cello:  Thomas Tsai     (The Apollo Trio)

Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Elgar: Enigma Variations
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

30th Jul 2006
TOPS Strings
Uniting Church,
Carrington Ave Strathfield

Bach: Concertos for 1, 2 and 3 violins

Vivaldi: Concerto for 4 violins

Fonsny: A work for strings
Violins: Margaret Howard, Heloise Pyne, Martin Lee,
Dorothy Sercombe, Rebecca Foulcher

25th Jun 2006
Macquarie University

Sibelius: Finlandia
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Baritone: Leon Warnock
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

28th May 2006
Lismore, NSW

Orff: Carmina Burana

29th Apr 2006
State Sports Centre
Homebush

A night of Armenian music and dance with Ara Gevorgian

26th Mar 2006
Parramatta Town Hall

Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man

Shostakovich: Festive Overture

Mozart: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20 in D minor K466
Piano: Julie Owens

Tchaikowsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
Howard: Footprints At Four Creeks
Conductor: Graham Howard

Ravel: Bolero
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Piano: Chris Marshall

Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Lerner & Loewe: Selections from My Fair Lady

2005

20th Nov
Joe Ciantar Studio,
Chatswood

A conducting masterclass with John Curro.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4

16th Oct 2005
Sydney Town Hall

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (mvts 4 & 5)
Soprano: Samantha Cobcroft
Mezzo-soprano: Sally-Anne Russell

Tippett: Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time

Boublil and Schonberg: Medley from Les Miserables
Conductor: Scott Copeman

4th Sep 2005
Sydney Town Hall

Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Soprano: Leanne Kenneally
Mezzo-soprano: Sally-Anne Russell
Offstage Conductor: Graham Howard

Tippett: Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time
Soprano: Leanne Kenneally 

21st Aug 2005
U.N.E, Armidale

Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Soprano:       Samantha Cobcroft
Mezzo-soprano: Sally-Anne Russell

19th Jun 2005
Macquarie University

R Strauss: Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments, Op. 7

Elgar: In the South Op. 50 (Alassio)

Koetsier: Concertino for Tuba and Strings
Tuba: Oliver Harris

R Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier Op. 59
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

10th Apr 2005
TOPS Wind
Singleton Sisters of
Mercy Chapel

Dvořák: Serenade in D minor Op. 44 for Winds, Cello and Double Bass

R Strauss: Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments, Op. 7

Mozart: Serenade No 11 in Eb, K375

Gounod: Petite Symphonie for Wind

13th Mar 2005
Sydney Town Hall

Sculthorpe: Kakadu
Didgeridoo: William Barton

Holst: Mars, Venus and Jupiter from The Planets

Howard: Earth, the Bringer of Life
Conductor: Graham Howard

Howard: Spirit of the Pilliga
Conductor: Graham Howard
Boy soprano: Keegan Joyce

2004

17th Oct 2004
Sydney Town Hall
Celebration Concert

Handel: Messiah Choruses

Wagner: "Entry of the Guests" from Tannhäuser

Respighi: Pines of Rome (excerpts)
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

Lennon & McCartney: Medley (arr. Howard)

29th Aug 2004
Macquarie University

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
Piano: Daniel Herscovitch

Irik: Music for Orchestra
Conductor: Michiel Irik

Respighi: Pines of Rome
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

15th Aug 2004
Strathfield Uniting Church
Strings and Harp

Elgar: Serenade

Debussy: Dances Sacred and Profane

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves &
Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus

Mahler: "Adagietto" from 5th Symphony

Delius: Two Aquarelles

20th Jun 2004
Macquarie University

Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde

R Strauss: Four Last Songs
Soprano: Leanne Kenneally

Stravinsky: Petrouchka
Conductor: Steven Hillinger

21st Mar 2004
Granville Town Hall

Shostakovich: Festive Overture

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D
Conductor: Brendan Cooper
Violin: Caroline Watson

Berlioz: Hungarian March
Conductor: Brendan Cooper

Grainger: English Waltz from Youthful Suite & Irish Tune from County Derry

Tchaikowsky: Waltz from Sleeping Beauty

2003

19th Oct 2003
Sydney Town Hall
Celebration Concert

Handel: Zadok the Priest

Verdi: Grand March from Aida

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No 3 (Organ Symphony): Finale
Conductor: Richard Pulley
Organ: Sarah Kim

Howard: Gospel Song Medley 

24th,31st Aug 2003
Macquarie University

Mahler: Symphony No. 3
Conductors: Mal Hewitt (mvts 1,5-6) and Steven Hillinger (mvts 2-4)
Mezzo-soprano: Christine Logan
Female Choir: Cheltenham Girls High School Choir
Boys Choir: North Sydney Boys' Choir

27th Jun 2003
Clubbe Hall, Mittagong
Chamber Orchestra

Mozart: Symphonie Concertante for Violin and Viola
Violin: Elizabeth Gormley
Viola:  Luke Spicer

Gounod: Petite Symphonie for Wind
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

Howard: Quartet for Chamber Orchestra

Haydn: Symphony No. 104 (The London)
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

11th May 2003
North Sydney Boys’ High

Vaughan Williams: Songs Of Travel
Baritone: Leon Warnock Puccini: Mi Chiamano Mimi and Donde Lieta from La Boheme
O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi
Soprano: Leanne Kenneally

Leoncavallo: E allor perche and Stridono Lassu from Pagliacci
Soprano: Leanne Kenneally
Baritone: Leon Warnock

Tchaikowsky: Scene, Waltz and Hungarian Dance from Swan Lake
Excerpts from Nutcracker Suite 
Conductor: Emery Schubert

2002

20th Oct 2002
Sydney Town Hall
Celebration Concert

Berlioz: Te Deum, Fiat Super Nos and Tibi Omnes from Te Deum

Tchaikowsky: 1812 Overture

Peter Allen: Boy from Oz Medley (arr. Howard)

1st Sep 2002
Parramatta Town Hall

Opera Highlights (Bizet, Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Saint-Saëns,
Verdi, Gounod, Bernstein and G&S)
Conductors: Mal Hewitt and Steven Hillinger
Soloists: Rowena Michael, Christine Logan, Marcus Rivera, James Homann.

7th Jul 2002
Macquarie University

Delius: Walk to the Paradise Garden

Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
Conductor: Martin Hardy

Ravel: Mother Goose Suite

Ravel: Bolero

12th May 2002
Granville Town Hall

Wagner: Prelude from Tannhäuser

Wagner: Entry of the Guests from Tannhäuser
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Wagner: Preludes to Act 1 and 3 from Lohengrin

Wagner: Siegfried's Rhine Journey from Götterdämmerung
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Wagner: Siegfried's Death from Götterdämmerung

Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

2001

21st Oct 2001
Sydney Town Hall
Celebration Concert

Orff: Carmina Burana

Koehne: Powerhouse
Conductor: Martin Hardy

Boublil and Schonberg: Medley from Les Miserables

9th Sep 2001
Mt Carmel High School,
Campbelltown

de Falla: 3 dances from the Three Cornered Hat
Conductor: Sarah-Grace Williams

Delius: A Walk to the Paradise Garden

Koehne: Powerhouse
For this concert, TOPS combined with Fisher's Ghost Youth Orchestra.

1st Jul 2001
Granville Town Hall

Humperdinck: Prelude and Forest Scene from Hänsel and Gretel
Conductor: Richard Pulley
Soloists: Christine Logan and Lynne Murray

R Strauss: Four Last Songs
Soprano: Lynne Murray

Tchaikowsky: Nutcracker Ballet excerpts

2000

12th Nov 2000
Sydney Opera House
Celebration Concert

Bach: B Minor Mass (excerpts)

Borodin: Polotsvian Dances

Lloyd-Webber: Phantom of the Opera

3rd Sep 2000
Campbelltown

Verdi: Overture to La Forza del Destino
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Janacek: Prophecy and Death from Taras Bulba
Conductor: Richard Pulley

Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Conductor: Martin Hardy  

28th May 2000
Macquarie University

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"
Conductor: Noel Annett

Schumann: Conzertstuck for 4 Horns
Horns: Graham Nichols, Julia Zeltzer, Steven Hillinger and Noel Annett

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Conductor: Steven Hillinger 

1999

7th Nov 1999
Sydney Opera House
Celebration Concert