Singin' in the Rain! Ulladulla - 17 March 2019 It rained. It poured. It deluged. But the sound of the rain thundering on the roof of the Ulladulla Civic Centre never dampened the audience’s enthusiasm for the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra’s first concert for 2019 on 17 March.

It was the second time the SBO had played in Ulladulla, 230 kms south of Sydney. While the rain certainly kept the audience numbers down, it was a reminder that distance does not diminish the enjoyment of our audiences.

The SBO’s players often form small groups where there is a need for fewer musicians or ‘pop up’ mood music.

On Sunday, 4 November, a group of six SBO musicians played a few numbers at the Pioneer Theatre in Castle Hill. SBO members donated their time to the event, as the Hills Harmony Choir had arranged it as a fundraiser for Lifeline. ‘We were feeling a bit thin on the ground with only a fifth of the usual orchestra on stage, so we invited the Harmony Choir to join us for our last number,’

Every year the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra plays at the retirement home in Cabramatta named after the famous Russian Orthodox Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and this year was no different. The orchestra plays free for the residents who are amongst our most appreciative of audiences.

‘For many years at St Sergius, I have introduced the orchestra using the Russian language,’ says musical director Victor Serghie. ‘But more and more I now find I am using English,’ he said.