The Adelaide Wind Orchestra conducted by Angelo Valdivia, takes the audience on a musical journey through different mythical worlds of video games and anime. The group comprises around 40 members and encompasses an array of wind instruments. For the performance several of them dressed up as their favourite character, notable mention to the guy dressed up as Luigi, he really committed.

Some of the songs they played were from Studio Ghibli films and video games like Zelda and Final Fantasy, my personal favourite was the Spirited Away composition. To tell each story, the orchestra for example played snippets of each song from a film, each part intricately woven together to create one brilliant arrangement. In doing so, they effectively brought together the different stages of a game/movie, condensing it into a succinct piece that takes you on a journey to relive and immerse you in that world.

The orchestra happily bopped along to the music, their infectious enthusiasm was picked up by the audience who eagerly tapped their feet to the tunes. The way they performed displayed a genuine joy for playing music, and it was evident they are a committed and talented group of musicians. They brought emotion to the music and skillfully played all the highs and lows of each piece with passion. It is a testament to the conductor’s ability to direct them through all the dynamics of each piece.

Big shout-out to the percussionists, their ability to deftly switch between the various instruments throughout the performance was exciting to watch. Without them, the songs would not be complete, they bring the minute detail of each song so that it is replicated and represented accurately for our listening pleasure.

I would say go see their performance, but unfortunately they don't have any more shows this Fringe season! However, check out their website because they have another show coming up in April.

 4/5 stars 

 - by Rachel Wong