Raised in the American South by a clergyman and educated at the world-renowned Julliard School of Music, Dobbs Franks has had a legendary career in the arts. He has conducted symphonies, operas, ballets, and theatre. From the bright lights on Broadway to Verdi’s Falstaff in Tokyo, Dobbs’ career has taken him around the world many times over.
In his travels as an international conductor, Dobbs found himself landing more often than not in Australia. So, when it came time to (semi) retire and relax, Perth seemed like a good choice, though Dobbs says, ‘I was looking forward to semi-retirement, but you know what? I’ve never been so busy!’
Indeed, after recovering from a near fatal car crash last year, Dobbs has taken a position as Head of Music at the Australian Opera Studio. As the Christmas season approaches, he has signed on to be the guest conductor for ‘A Welcome to Christmas’ concert at the Perth Concert Hall, where he will conduct the New I Voci Singers and Orchestra.
‘I can enjoy the genuine pleasure as a performer of doing the esoteric, the unusual, the new, but when it comes to Christmas, I like to do the thing that we can all enter into. We can all sing Hark the Herald Angels, we can all sing Silent Night, we can all sing Joy the World, so why not? That to me is really Christmas, rather than getting on stage and performing for, getting on stage and performing with [an audience],’ Dobbs said.
Even as an international composer, Dobbs said he doesn’t cringe at all when someone with the musical ability of a cat with blocked airway decides to join in. As he jokes, ‘As long as you are in the back row, that’s fine…As far as I’m concerned Christmas and community singing are group singing and have to do with the spirit of Christmas, not musical excellence. If you get a kick out of singing and you have a cloth ear, it is absolutely irrelevant. Truly that is what Christmas is about. I think being a musician I have a chance to be a part of the real essence of Christmas because I don’t have to give or to get presents. I don’t have to do anything with the commercial side of Christmas to relish and indulge in the spirit of Christmas.’
So, be you pitch perfect or tone deaf, join ‘A Welcome to Christmas’ and sing your Christmas carol favourites at the Perth Concert Hall on Wednesday, December 12, at 11am. Tickets are available through BOCS ticketing – 9484 1133 or www.bocsticketing.com.au.
