Classical, classy and bright

A SPRINKLING OF CONFETTTI: Made up of Dana Parkhill (left), Paula Sugden and Emily Cargill, Hawke’s Bay trio Confetti bring their fresh arrangements of classical and contemporary works for a performance in Gisborne on Saturday. Picture supplied

Flutter-tonguing, trills, jet whistle, tongue rams, tongue pizzicato and glissando are among intriguing descriptions by well-respected music reviewer Stephen Gibbs of a performance by the trio Confetti. And he hadn’t even got around to what the cellist did.

Made up of flute players Emily Cargill and Dana Parkhill and cellist Paula Sugden, Confetti’s repertoire is as variegated as the name suggests.

“We’re all classically trained and have played professionally but we wanted to do something different,” says Parkhill.

New arrangements“We have to write our own arrangements. A lot of repertoire for flute and cello is early baroque and sounds a bit the same. Not much is written for two flutes and cello so we find material and completely tweak it. We’re playing music a lot of people haven’t heard before.”

As Gibbs noted, the trio also brings new techniques to their performances. This includes percussive effects. When Confetti performs in Gisborne on Saturday, their audience can expect to see and hear Sugden slapping her antique cello for percussive effect.

The trio’s repertoire for their Gisborne concert includes Haydn’s London Trio No.1 in C Major, and new music such as Mosquito Blue by contemporary composer Maria Kaneko Millar.

Channelling Jethro TullFrom Gibbs’ review: “A jazzy plucked riff from the cello and the pianissimo flutes set the idyllic scene, but it collapsed into an ominous, dangerous mood. Emily channelled Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson in an adrenalised rock-jazz style.”

The mood changes again when Parkhill swaps her flute to whistle bird calls. Trio, a work by 24-year-old American composer Edgar Girtain also features in the programme as does the more familiar Take Five by Dave Brubeck.

“We improvise a little with the solos,” says Parkhill.

“It’s not full on jazz — we’re exploring different ways of playing music.”

Hawke’s Bay trio Confetti perform at St Andrew’s Church, Saturday at 4pm. Admission free, optional koha for performers.