Early Orchestral History in
The first large scale
choral/orchestral concert held in South Australia was the Handel Centenary
Commemoration Festival held in White’s Assembly Rooms, King William Street, on
April 13th and 14th, 1859, when the first South Australian performances of
Handel’s Messiah and Alexander’s Feast were given. The orchestra had 30
players and there were 60 choristers. A diorama, nine feet in height,
featuring a painting of Handel, was hung behind the performers. The conductor
was Carl Linger (1810-1862), who is noted as the composer of Song of Australia.
- Robert Brown