Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Gisborne Herald

NZSO crosses age divide

Gisborne Herald
18 Mar, 2023 11:16 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

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
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

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.

Keep up to date with the day's biggest stories

Sign up to our daily curated newsletter for the day's top stories straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“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.

Subscriber benefit

The ability to gift paywall-free articles is a subscriber only benefit. See more offers by clicking the button below.

Already a subscriber?  Sign in here
Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Premium
Gisborne Herald

Hall-of-famer Thompson 'up for the challenge' of a more leisurely life

Gisborne Herald

'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role

Gisborne Herald

'Public health issue': Gisborne nurses join strike next week over staffing and safety concerns


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

One dead, another injured in two-vehicle crash
New Zealand

One dead, another injured in two-vehicle crash

Kiwi family react after wife stabs husband 50 times with samurai sword
New Zealand

Kiwi family react after wife stabs husband 50 times with samurai sword

From bachelorette to bride: Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster is engaged
Entertainment

From bachelorette to bride: Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster is engaged

Cambodia calls for ceasefire as Thailand border conflict intensifies
World

Cambodia calls for ceasefire as Thailand border conflict intensifies

'Completely heartbroken': Hayley Westenra's friends killed in LA homicide
Entertainment

'Completely heartbroken': Hayley Westenra's friends killed in LA homicide

Warriors Women concede three first half tries to trail Titans
Warriors

Warriors Women concede three first half tries to trail Titans



Latest from Gisborne Herald

Premium
Premium
Hall-of-famer Thompson 'up for the challenge' of a more leisurely life
Gisborne Herald

Hall-of-famer Thompson 'up for the challenge' of a more leisurely life

Gisborne kayaking coach Liz Thompson is cutting back on her duties after storied career.

25 Jul 05:00 PM
'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role
Gisborne Herald

'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role

25 Jul 06:59 AM
'Public health issue': Gisborne nurses join strike next week over staffing and safety concerns
Gisborne Herald

'Public health issue': Gisborne nurses join strike next week over staffing and safety concerns

25 Jul 03:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search