About Mandolin Orchestras
Mandolin Orchestras were immensely popular community orchestras throughout Europe and America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sadly, there has been a slow decline in the number of mandolin orchestras in Europe and America over the past 70-80 years but they continue to be very popular in Japan. Australia has a slowly growing number of mandolin orchestras although the average age of players is slowly rising! Recruiting young players to join mandolin orchestras is difficult with the availability of so many other options for young musicians.
The structure of mandolin orchestras has been modelled on the string quartet with first and second mandolin sections resembling the first and second violin of a string quartet, a mandola section( mandola are larger and deeper pitched than mandolins) taking a similar role to the viola in a string quartet and mandocello (mandocello are larger again than mandola and with a much deeper pitch) playing a similar role to the cello of a string quartet.
Supplementing these instruments are classical guitars and double basses or acoustic bass guitars which provide a much more mellow sound and commonly playing the role of rhythm within the orchestra. However all sections of the mandolin orchestra commonly carry the melody at times.
A common misconception about the second mandolin section is that the music is simpler and easier to play than the music for the first mandolin section. In fact, the music for the second mandolin section is commonly more difficult as it is rhythmically more complex and sometimes completely lacks an easily-played melody as it compliments the first mandolin music!
Contemporary music for the mandolin orchestra continues to be composed all over the world and mandola orchestras commonly commission new music to play. FAME also underwrites the cost of new music commissions for FAME Festivals. One of FAME's primary aims is to support and foster the mandolin orchestra movement in Australasia and supporting the various Australian/New Zealand mandolin orchestras to run mandolin orchestra festivals under FAME's banner or organising its own FAME Festivals is one of it's main activities.
The structure of mandolin orchestras has been modelled on the string quartet with first and second mandolin sections resembling the first and second violin of a string quartet, a mandola section( mandola are larger and deeper pitched than mandolins) taking a similar role to the viola in a string quartet and mandocello (mandocello are larger again than mandola and with a much deeper pitch) playing a similar role to the cello of a string quartet.
Supplementing these instruments are classical guitars and double basses or acoustic bass guitars which provide a much more mellow sound and commonly playing the role of rhythm within the orchestra. However all sections of the mandolin orchestra commonly carry the melody at times.
A common misconception about the second mandolin section is that the music is simpler and easier to play than the music for the first mandolin section. In fact, the music for the second mandolin section is commonly more difficult as it is rhythmically more complex and sometimes completely lacks an easily-played melody as it compliments the first mandolin music!
Contemporary music for the mandolin orchestra continues to be composed all over the world and mandola orchestras commonly commission new music to play. FAME also underwrites the cost of new music commissions for FAME Festivals. One of FAME's primary aims is to support and foster the mandolin orchestra movement in Australasia and supporting the various Australian/New Zealand mandolin orchestras to run mandolin orchestra festivals under FAME's banner or organising its own FAME Festivals is one of it's main activities.
About FAME Festivals
The word Festival is probably not the best term to describe what really happens at a FAME "Festival"! It is probably better to call them week-long rehearsals for members of mandolin orchestras culminating in a public concert performance. However that's a bit long-winded so we've used the term "Festival" for a long time. And they are all about having fun playing music with one's friends, either newly made or of long-standing. And everyone who participates in a FAME Festival leaves after the week a much better musician!
And because the Festivals are held in different major cities around Australia and New Zealand they provide an opportunity to visit new cities and have a holiday before or after the Festival starts or ends. During every Festival there are opportunities to do a bit of exploring, there are in-house concerts and often workshops for players. In addition to rehearsals of the full Festival orchestra, the different sections of the Festival orchestra have separate "section rehearsals" to work through difficult parts of the repertoire.
And because the Festivals are held in different major cities around Australia and New Zealand they provide an opportunity to visit new cities and have a holiday before or after the Festival starts or ends. During every Festival there are opportunities to do a bit of exploring, there are in-house concerts and often workshops for players. In addition to rehearsals of the full Festival orchestra, the different sections of the Festival orchestra have separate "section rehearsals" to work through difficult parts of the repertoire.
