“I have been playing with PSO since I moved to Perth in 1976. I could hardly believe my luck at finding myself in a town with a symphony orchestra with flute vacancy. I was immediately made to feel very welcome.

“Over the years I have made many friends through a shared love of music, and I feel very fortunate to have worked through such a wide orchestral repertoire: symphonies, overtures, and concertos with soloists who have gone on to successful international careers. It is thrilling to hear some work or soloist on the radio and to think: “We played that” or “…with him or her”.

Quite early on I was invited to join the committee and served for several years as an ordinary member and, in the last few years, as Friends’ Secretary.

“It is hard to pick out particular highlights, as all the concerts have been memorable and exciting, and it is always thrilling to feel oneself a part of a huge body of sound. I have particularly enjoyed playing in all the Brahms symphonies and felt particularly challenged by Scheherazade and Rachmaninov 2nd Symphony. The big event concerts have been great fun: the Choral Symphony with Perth Choral Society; the 50th anniversary concert; Perth 800 playing the music for the Royal Fireworks by the Tay, in the snow; last February’s concert with PYO…

“Rehearsals are good fun too. Allan has a wonderful sense of humour, endless patience, a way of getting us to listen carefully to other sections of the orchestra and the gift of building up confidence, so that the scary moments of exposed entries, tricky rhythms and seemingly impossible rapid passages become manageable”.