The Birth of Contemporary New Zealand Music

Media release

14 May 2007

The Birth of Contemporary New Zealand Music

New Zealand Music month this May sees the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra joining with one of New Zealand's most recognised charities in celebrating their hundredth anniversary.

The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society has marked this milestone with a commission from Eve de Castro-Robinson for children's voices and orchestra. The music is set to the poem These Arms to Hold You written by Montana 2006 New Zealand Book Award recipient Bill Manhire and will be performed by the Lyrica Choir from Kelburn Normal school. This concert, conducted by Hamish McKeich, will mark the world premiere of this new work, on 25th May at the Wellington Town Hall.

NZ composer Eve de Castro-Robinson was honoured to receive such a commission, saying recently, "I was immediately keen to celebrate an organisation which had played such a vital role in the early months of my own baby. I was also taken with the idea of writing for children's voices, a first for me. To work with Bill Manhire, one of this country's most stylish and witty poets, was the icing on the (birthday) cake!"

This concert, which also has the NZSO premiere of John Psathas' First Saxophone concerto, Omnifenix, will feature NZ's biggest selling jazz artist, Nathan Haines. In the words of a reviewer present at the premiere of Omnifenix in Bologna, Italy, in August 2000, it "achieves a compelling synthesis of the jazz and art music streams, and allows plenty of space for the individuality of the saxophone soloist to shine. The drum kit player functions as a translator, both reinforcing the bottom end of the orchestra as well as responding to the soloist".

The work has been recorded by the NZSO with Joshua Redman as soloist on the View from Olympus CD and is currently the longest running album at No1 of the NZ classical music charts.

TheDouglas Lilburn 2006/7 resident Lyell Cresswell's Ylur; and the 2007-08 Composer-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music, Ross Harris' Cento .... Is there more to come?

With four solo albums to his name and an incredible list of collaborations and guest spots on hundreds of releases, saxophonist/vocalist Nathan Haines continues to explore the boundaries of soul, funk and jazz. His last album, released in 2005, Life Time features the NZSO in a variety of jazz classics and Haines' originals. Haines last performed with the NZSO in 2005 as part of the BMW Series featuring Marlena Shaw. (I would take out the classical genre reference because much of the concerto is jazz improvised, apparently)

This concert will also mark the death of NZ composer, David Farquhar with a special dedication announced on the night.

For the second year running the NZSO will offer "Alive and Kicking" - a preconcert forum which presents the audience with a unique chance to hear major NZ composers and artists discuss their music and their inspiration. This forum will be in the main auditorium at 5.15pm, chaired by NZSO Chief Executive, Peter Walls, and featuring composers, John Psathas, Eve de Castro-Robinson, Nathan Haines, Ross Harris, Lyell Cresswell and conductor Hamish McKeich.

The Royal NZ Plunket Society has been caring for young families for one hundred years. Over 91 percent of babies born in New Zealand are Plunket babies. Plunket's strength in the community means they work in partnership with others to achieve shared goals around child health, strengthening families, and community engagement.
www.plunket.org.nz

PROGRAMME

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND
with Nathan Haines

WELLINGTON Friday 25 May 6.30pm, Town Hall Free Preconcert Composers Forum 5.15pm

EVE DE CASTRO-ROBINSON These Arms to Hold You Commission for Children's Voices and Orchestra
ALFRED HILL The Moon's Golden Horn
ROSS HARRIS Cento
LYELL CRESSWELL Ylur
JOHN PSATHAS Saxophone Concerto No 1 Omnifenix

HAMISH McKEICH Conductor
NATHAN HAINES Saxophone
RON SAMSOM Drum Kit
LYRICA CHOIR from Kelburn Normal School

Tickets from just $20 from Ticketek

ENDS

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