On one of the busiest Sundays in March, it's difficult to choose which show to attend. After two frustrating attempts to catch the Fringe puppetry performance of Rusalka based on the opera by Antonin Dvorak, where both shows were cancelled, I finally decided on a relaxing and enchanting afternoon of classical, folk, and comtemporary music. It was an excellent choice as Emma Horwood launched her debut solo voice and harp CD Vox Angelica at the Sunday Spectrum concert in the Festival Centre's Artspace.
Emma graduated with a Bachelor of Music at Adelaide University's Elder Conservatorium, and works as a freelance harpist, singer,teacher and conductor.
Her concert Landscape of the Musical Heart, complements the art exhibition in the Festival Centre's Artspace.
Heavenly Harpist and Soprano by Linh
It's a rarity to have an artist who can sing beautifully while playing harp, so it's a joy to watch Emma Horwood perform.
The gentle caressing and plucking on the harp strings accompanying Emma's angelic voice is sublime as she enthralls with her playing.
For the exhibition After Heysen - Exposing the Australian Landscape, Emma's Landscape of the Musical Heart concert, combined songs and music to explore the beauty of the Australian outback and expose the wonderful works of artists whose paintings so vividly reflect the nation's hidden geographical gems.
In a concert featuring local composers including Carl Crossin, Graeme Koehne and Helen Cartridge, Emma has captured the musical heart of the Australian flora and fauna through voice and harp.
Emma's distinctively precise intonation in Robert Johnson's Have You Seen, But A White Lily Grow? brought alluring beauty to the imagination, with splendid expression in Benjamin Britten's The Sally Gardens.
Emma's voice and harp playing exuded powerful emotion throughout Bill Whelan's Cloudsong and The Heart's Cry. Her expressive singing brought radiance to a somewhat stultified Apache Blessing by Carl Crossin.
Emma is versatile and talented as a singer and harpist, whose ethereal vocal performances and masterful harp presentations are truly awe-inspiring.
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