Rare guns and virtuoso violins: Lithgow Museum fundraiser

A fundraising concert and community day in aid of the historic Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum will be held at the museum on Saturday, 23 November, featuring tours, rare and unusual firearms and a performance by acclaimed violinist Jonathon Glonek.

It is billed as day of “history, music and community as we rally support for the museum” which has been closed since a robbery in August. The event is free but funds will be raised by donation.

Jonathon Glonek’s extraordinary talents will be put to good use raising funds for the Lithgow museum

Talks will cover some fascinating guns: a pistol that fires triangular cartridges and another that launches tiny rockets; a WWII-era German belt-buckle pistol and a walking-stick gun; and more.

Volunteers will conduct informal tours of the area damaged during the robbery and explain their plans for restoration, and they will discuss the museum’s records of past factory employees, which will be of particular interest to those whose ancestors worked there.

But the main attraction will be a solo violin performance by Jonathon Glonek in the historic General Machine Shop from 3pm. He will perform works by Bach, Paganini and Ysaye, as well as presenting a powerful new piece by Ukrainian composer Mikhail Shukh.

Through his performance, Jonathon aims to raise awareness of the museum’s vital role in preserving the unique heritage of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory.

Jonathon has performed and studied internationally since he was 12, and moved to the US after earning a scholarship to study at UCLA. He now lives in Adelaide.

He is renowned for his virtuosity and for playing a wide range of classical music.

Beside such worldwide acclaim, Jonathon has a passion for taking his music to a broad local audience, to people who do not get the chance to hear music of such variety and quality.

“Classical music is a great gift to everyone, but there are not that many opportunities to hear it in the bush,” he told National Tribune last year. “I am trying to change that by bringing work that is not often played even in the cities to rural and regional audiences.”

The museum shop will be open through the day, and there will be a sausage sizzle with cakes and drinks also available.

The museum, at 69 Methven St, Lithgow, will open from 10am until 2.30pm, after which the concert will be held from 3pm.