In its next concert on Thursday (September 23), the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 1999 World Symphony Series Spring Season features a programme titled Classical Gold conducted by Robert Maxym. Classical Gold incorporates Hadyn’s Symphony No. 43 (Farewell), Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

The concert takes place in the Durban City Hall at 19h30 and the season runs every Thursday until November25.

While concert-goers were disappointed last week at the fact that popular singer Michael Halliwell was unable to perform because of laryngitis, nobody could have been more upset at his non-appearance than the singer himself. “Durban is obviously the one concert of the tour that I really wanted to perform,” he said hoarsely, “but there’s no way I can sing with this throat!” Michael, who is well-known to Durban audiences for the many years he graced opera and concert stages here, believes he caught the flu bug when he arrived in Cape Town as part of the Sydney Conservatorium of Chamber Music’s national tour. Perhaps it was South Africa’s unkind revenge on him for leaving our fair shores for Australia! Come back soon and try again, Michael!