Music and a touch of magic this year for Mother’s Day: Queensland Symphony Orchestra

There’s breakfast in bed, flowers, some lippy and sometimes even powertools bought by dad and dressed up as a ‘gift’ for mum…. This year, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra has made Mother’s Day super easy with the Happy Mother’s Day Concert, part of the incredibly loved Music on Sundays Program, being staged on Sunday 11 May at 11.30am in the Concert Hall at QPAC. So give mum music and a touch of magic!!

Concert highlights include Dvo?ák’s nostalgic Songs My Mother Taught Me and Brisbane husband-and-wife legends Pamela Page and Max Olding performing Czerny’s Piano Concerto for Four Hands.

The Happy Mother’s Day concert is part of the QSO’s popular Music on Sundays series, hosted by one of Australia’s most versatile musical entertainers, Guy Noble. Each concert in the Music on Sundays series involves popular, themed repertoire. Wave your British flag in the celebratory event (Not) The Last Night of the Proms on 27 April, hear operatic wonders in Passion and Madness on 27 July, and listen to music from an array of international composers in World Inspiration on 19 October.

As the entertaining host of the series, Guy Noble, has built a popular following for the Music on Sundays concerts, his cheeky humour and occasional costume changes surprise and delight audiences of all ages. This comical, spontaneous element and Guy’s informed musical commentary make these concerts a great way to introduce audiences to orchestral music. With themed music, renowned soloists, world-class musicians and an entertaining host, the QSO offers the perfect reason to get out of bed on a Sunday morning!

The 2014 Music on Sundays series opens on Sunday 9 March at 11.30am in the QPAC Concert Hall. Subscription packages and single tickets available now through qtix on 136 246.

Music on Sundays Series is proudly presented by Bacchus Bar, Restaurant & Pool. Official Radio Partner – Brisbane’s News Talk 4BC.

MUSIC ON SUNDAYS – 2014 CONCERTS

27 April at 11.30am, QPAC Concert Hall | (Not) The Last Night of the Proms – Light-Hearted Traditional

11 May at 11.30am, QPAC Concert Hall | Happy Mother’s Day – The Gift of Music

27 July at 11.30am, QPAC Concert Hall | Passion and Madness – Operatic Wonders

19 October at 11.30am, QPAC Concert Hall | World Inspiration – Armchair Traveller

TICKETS: qtix 136 246 or qso.com.au

As if Diwali weren’t colorful and fun enough, The Festival of Lights: A Lift-the-flap Diwali Celebration by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Darshika Varm, makes it even more fun to read about with flaps and things to lift and pull to see more information or details in the illustrations.

The book is a story about a family getting ready for Diwali and what happens on the different days of the five-day celebration. There’s cleaning, shopping, crafting, food preparation and getting the home altar ready for the big day.

It covers decorating the outside of the house with rangoli, diyas and lanterns, buying sweets to share with family and friends, the sights and scents of the mandir (home temple), getting dressed up in new fancy clothes, the story of Diwali and celebrations with relatives.

Flaps (there are more than 140 in all) give you vocabulary words for different foods and definitions, as well as fun things like what’s inside the shopping basket or where the cat is hanging out. They also help illuminate the story of Diwali, which is the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram defeated the demon Ravana to save his wife, Sita.

This pretty and colorful book helps kids understand what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, regardless of whether they practice it at home. This would be a nice book to keep in a classroom (it’s rated for kids ages 3-7) or to have at home to teach kids about Diwali even if it’s not something you celebrate. Where I live there are a lot of people from India so we are probably exposed to Diwali more than some other regions of America, but it’s a nice holiday to know about wherever you live.

Combine with the book Diwali and check out some fun lantern crafts and printables for kids to round out your experience.

About the book: 24 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail prices $22.99.

Have you read?