Finding company in music
May 15 - 21, 2024
By SIMONE KERWIN IT could have been a daunting moment for Wendie Wilkie when, as a nine-year-old, she was gifted a violin by her grandmother’s friend. “She’d had it when she was a child, so this violin is about 170 years old,” Wendie said. Young Wendie was not fazed by the trust shown in bestowing the instrument on her, and she enjoyed playing the violin throughout high school. Though she played intermittently while attending teachers’ college, and living in various locations around Australia including Darwin and Perth, the heirloom travelled with her. “I didn’t play very much for 40 years, then I moved to Albany in Western Australia and found they had a community symphony orchestra,” she said. “I met someone who had learnt the cello at 55, and they told me that many of the members had come late to music, so I joined - and I fell in love with it again.” When she moved from Albany to Wanga-ratta, Wendie sought opportunities to continue playing music, and was thrilled in 2021 when the call went out for interest in starting a Continued page 6 Wangaratta Symphony■Orchestra.
◆ PASSION: Foundation Wangaratta Symphony Orchestra member Wendie Wilkie relishes the chance to hone her violin skills as part of the Simone group. Kerwin PHOTO:
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