New Music Concert - Saturday 4 July 2009 11 a.m.

New Music Concert, Saturday 4 July 2009 11 a.m.

Organised by the Raroa Music Centre & Caprice Arts Trust

Showing a commitment to providing students with relevant and meaningful music to learn, the Caprice Arts Trust in conjunction with the Raroa Music Centre has organised this bi-annual contemporary music concert with music specially written for the RMC Orchestra and Choir from Wellington-based New Zealand composers Tristan Carter, Simon Eastwood and Carol Shortis. Ensembles comprised of the tutors and professional Wellingtonian musicians will also be included, performing music by contemporary composers Norm Gadd, Anton Killin, Bryan James, Norman Meehan, Dorothy Freed and Astor Piazolla. Children and their families are welcome. Gold Coin Donation appreciated.

Venue: Raroa Normal Intermediate School, Haumia St, Johnsonville

Programme Notes:

Norm Gadd “About 100 years later”
A piece for unaccompanied drum kit that Norman wrote originally for a pupil to perform at the Napier Band Contest in April. He has since updated it for his own performance. The piece is opened with an excerpt from a drum test piece of about 1905 and then re-worked with Norm’s idea of what could have been written today. From there the piece moves to a style that Norm loves himself; cross-rhythms and odd time signatures, which extend the player’s technique.

Tristan Carter “Bubbles”
Notes

Bryan James “Tasman Ice, Fantasia for Solo Flute No. 2” (1976)
performed by Jillene Everett

Anton Killin “Quintet”
A suite of 3 miniatures - "Study in Counterpoint", "Study in Transcription", and "Study in Minimalism" for flute (Jillene Everett), clarinet (Greg Rogan), bass clarinet (Tim Workman), viola (Claire MacFarlane), violin (Tristan Carter).

Carol Shortis “Smile” (for choir only)
This piece was written in 2008, using a well-known 'folk text' about how smiling can be a contagious activity (any connection to the current pandemic is purely coincidental!). The tune has a very familiar swing to it, as Carol’s intent was to make something that the Raroa Children’s Choir would pick up quickly and have fun singing confidently. It is a very functional, no-fancy-bits kind of song for any occasion when a smile is needed. Spread it around!

Norman Meehan “One of Three”
performed by Jamal Riski, Paul Mouncey and Amity Alton-Lee

Simon Eastwood “Building Blocks”
At the time /Building Blocks/ was written, a building was being demolished down the road from my work. For weeks on end the quiet hum of office machinery was periodically interrupted either by what sounded like a bomb going off in the distance or the loud ring of a jack hammer from roadworks outside. As the earth shaked, sometimes I wondered if the office was under attack. Relative silences between explosions became like islands of serenity. The resulting piece is made up of "blocks" of sound, an ambient backdrop interrupted by bursts of obnoxious noise.

Dorothy Freed “Sea Child”
with text by Catherine Mansfield for solo voice (Sharon Yearsley) and piano accompaniment (undecided).

Astor Piazolla “l’Histoire du Tango”
An arrangement for Clarinet Quartet (Tim Workman, Tui Clark, Rachel Collingridge and Debbie Rawson) Two movements will be performed: Nightclub and Bordello