NZSO crosses age divide

FAMILIAR TUNES: Kiri te Kanawa Retirement Village residents are entertained by tunes from the 1940s to 1960s performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s double bass player Malcolm Struthers (left), percussionist Bruce McKinnon (obscured), trumpeter Mark Carter, cellist Roger Brown and bass clarinet player Rachel Vernon. Pictures by Paul Rickard

FIVE New Zealand Symphony Orchestra musicians entertained people from two ends of the generational spectrum in Gisborne yesterday.

Kiri te Kanawa Retirement Village residents were entertained by tunes from the 1940s to 1960s, while the afternoon programme for about 400 students at Gisborne Intermediate included more modern pieces.

Sponsored by Ryman Healthcare, the NZSO musicians’ visit gave the retirement village residents an opportunity to hear world-class music by world class musicians, said NZSO partnership executive David Sutherland.

“It’s a special trip for us, so we thought ‘why not give both ends of the age spectrum the benefit of the experience?’”

Bass clarinet player Rachel Vernon, trumpeter Mark Carter, cellist Roger Brown, double bass player Malcolm Struthers and percussionist Bruce McKinnon opened the concert with American big band composer Glen Miller’s In the Mood.

The programme included jazz standard Tiger Rag, first recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917, the March from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, 1939 song A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, and Hoagy Carmichael’s creamy 1927 hit, Stardust.

“The most popular tune of its time,” said Mr McKinnon to a murmur of approval.

Each musician had a turn leading a piece that showed off his or her instrument. Among them was The Elephant, probably the only work composed for a double bass, said Malcolm Struthers.

“It’s about an elephant who thinks he can dance.”

Mrs Vernon’s clarinet led a “fast and furious” piece from The Nutcracker Suite and was followed by Lara’s Theme from the 1965 movie Dr Zhivago.

Moved to tearsMore than one resident was moved to tears.

“I love this one,” said one person.

“Beautiful,” said another.

The bass clarinet opened the James Bond movie theme music while Mr Carter’s trumpet soared with the familiar breakaway passage.

He grinned happily between his parts.

“Movie music is something the NZSO does,” said Mr McKinnon.

“We played music for the second and third Hobbit movies.”

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers was a medley of sing-along music hall tunes Daisy Bell, Don’t Dilly Dally on the Way and Let’s All Go Down to the Strand.

Led by clarinet and brass, Mr Carter’s trumpet had pulses racing with a throaty riff and jazzy staccato in a rendition of George Gershwin’s bluesy Summertime from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.

Several in the audience recalled New Zealand actor Inia Te Wiata’s 1965 performance as Porgy, a dispensation allowed by Gershwin who had previously stipulated only negro performers could play the part.

“I hope you enjoyed the programme and that it brought back a few memories,” said Mr McKinnon who wrote arrangements for all of the works in the programme.

The musicians wound up the concert with a Henry Miller big band favourite Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Rewarded with a standing ovation the five instrumentalists delivered an encore of Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm.

Mr McKinnon was familiar with the tunes in the programme from his early years when he performed with his father, who played piano accordion at old time dances, he said.

The NZSO loves coming to Gisborne but, as the baby boomer generation begins to reach retirement, the orchestra might have to think about including works by rockers such as Jimi Hendrix, he said.