The Glebe Music Festival emerged from a time where there were already lots of concerts being held at Margaretta Cottage. David McIntosh, a medical doctor then working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, recalls that sometimes there would be so many music events in Glebe and so little organisation. With an enduring passion for music, David decided in 1990 to create the Glebe Music Festival.
35 years later, McIntosh says “the general idea has not changed” with two guiding principles that underpin the annual festivities. First, to put international and local musical 16 artists on the programme together so audiences can see and hear both, and second; to keep the ticket prices very low. David subsidised and sponsored the concerts for the last 35 years, with the aim of making the Glebe Music Festival accessible to all people.
he Glebe Music Festival has been a ritual of Glebe for decades, with people travelling from many places to see a series of concerts mostly held in November. This year, the festival invited a chamber music concert titled “Shimmering Pearls.” Chamber music was developed between 1400-1700 when people often gathered to play music as a social activity. It is written for small groups and was traditionally played in modest and intimate settings, such as homes and chambers, hence its name. The concert was performed by Australian baroque group, Austral Harmony, and included a trio of recorder, oboe and cello. The concert was on a gloomy sunday, with windows open allowing for a fresh breeze to fill the room. The audience was attentive and quiet throughout the performance, but often sharing a wave to a familiar face across the room.
Concert attendees John Tang and John Neill had lived all over the world and were only back in Camperdown for a month. The pair were thrilled that they were able to attend the festival once again despite a busy schedule. When asked why he kept coming back to the festival, Neil explains, “it’s a very unique situation to hear music played in small circumstances, more like the circumstances for which it was originally written.”
Attendees Ross and Ralph lived in Glebe for almost 40 years and had been to a number of concerts over the years, including “Shimmering Pearls” and were attending the final concert at Gleebooks the following Sunday. Ross shared that she continued to come back not only out of love for chamber music, but because of the different settings that bring the music to life. She recalled a gamelan which she attended many years ago, a traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra, in the garden at Henrietta Cottage, describing it eminently as a wonderful experience.
While travelling the world for an important and demanding career, David has always found time for the festival, planning it a year in advance by himself. “I’ve been a musician all my life” David states. “It’s my second thing.” He’s also performed in the festival on a number of occasions, and holds his collection of keyboards at Margaretta Cottage. While David carries most of the responsibility, he expressed his gratitude for all the support from ‘neighbours, colleagues and friends’, including his 96 year old dad, who helped with ticketing for many years. “There are many locals and volunteers that really deserve thanks for keeping the whole thing going and their enthusiasm.”
One volunteer, Eric, had met David while they were both living in Glebe after he moved from the USA eight years ago. Eric shared a love for Glebe’s tight-knit community and diverse demographic. He has been helping with the festival for three years. “It’s a way to give back to a lot of people in the community who couldn’t afford tickets to the Sydney Opera House or any of the major concerts; it still gives them exposure at a very great value and it enhances the cultural aspect of Glebe.” Another volunteer, Paul, argues that “these community groups are fascinating and they have really nice programs; unusual and interesting, key musicians and lots of local support.” David recalls many special moments over the years, explaining that “there have been some unusual highlights” differing from what he originally expected from the concert. He names different international groups that offered vibrant and diverse performances for the festival, including a Nepalese rock band, a Balinese gamelan and the Czech Philharmonic Children’ Choir, which was David’s personal favourite.
But as mentioned by John and Ross, this festival is not just about the music, and a certain antique charm accompanies the songs as they come to life in some of Glebe’s oldest and most beautiful buildings. Over the years, the concerts have been held in a variety of places. Now, concerts happen in Margaretta Cottage, Glebe Town Hall and Gleebooks, in beautiful spaces carefully selected to make each concert an intimate experience. David explains how having the festival in these buildings was one of the really valuable uses, so people can go in and see how beautiful they are. At one point, there may have been more than 60 people in the audience, but now, David tries to keep the numbers much lower. He states; “It’s much more intimate and there’s a possibility of having a lot more interaction between the musicians and the audience.”
David’s genuine love for music shines through the past 35 years of the festival, as he continues to keep musicians pristinely at the forefront of the festival. “Musicians deserve to be compensated for the amount of time they’ve put towards preparing the music, learning their instruments, maintaining their instruments and giving a performance,” he says. “There is great value in supporting live musicians, and that includes young and up-and-coming and student musicians as well as older and mature musicians.”
When asked about the future of the festival, David was content with its current status. With little concern for the survival of the annual event, he argues that there is “no reason to change when the audiences are so full and enthusiastic.” We asked if he had any plans to take the festival all over Sydney given its continuous success, to which David seems to have little interest. “I think it’s important to stay in the area,” David says. “I think it’s important to make it something that the Glebe people can be proud of.”