The New Zealand Doctors’ Orchestra preparing to perform in New Plymouth

The New Zealand Doctors' Orchestra playing in Dunedin Town Hall.

One started playing the trumpet from what he calls “a kind of midlife crisis,” while another first picked up a brass instrument as a way out of class, but one thing a group of musicians headed to New Plymouth have in common is a love of medicine as well as music.

Members of the New Zealand Doctors’ Orchestra (NZDO) are preparing for their annual concert which takes place in Taranaki this year. Music lovers aren’t the only people to benefit from the concert taking place on Sunday, July 23 at the TSB Showplace Theatre Royal, with all proceeds from ticket sales to be donated to Hospice Taranaki.

The orchestra has over 70 players and is made up of doctors and medical students from around New Zealand. It was set up more than 10 years ago with the aim of providing medical musicians an enhanced work-life balance through the experience of playing in a high-quality national orchestra as well as encouraging collegiality. Participants pay their own travel and accommodation expenses as well as an enrolment fee covering costs such as the venue hire and conductor’s fee. The orchestra meets over three days starting on the Friday prior to the Sunday concert for intensive rehearsals and organised social events.

The inaugural concert in 2012 took place at the Nelson School of Music, with a variety of works performed by the orchestra which was conducted by Mark Hodgkinson. Mark will be conducting this year’s concert as well, which features Shostakovich’s Symphony no 5, Joseph Canteloube’s Bailero from Songs of the Auvergne - featuring soprano Frances Campbell, and Procession, by Aotearoa New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie.

Dr Raimond Jacquemard retired from his role at Taranaki Base Hospital last year, and says playing in the NZDO appeals to him on several levels, from the “great repertoire” of music played by the orchestra to the quality of the performance put together by it, “after only a few days of rehearsal together”.

The Dutch doctor, who was born in South Africa and grew up mainly in the Netherlands, says he started playing the trumpet about 17 years ago “as a kind of midlife crisis”. However, he had been fascinated by the sound of the instrument since he was a child himself he says.

For trombonist Daniel Chow, currently based in New Plymouth as a medical student, it’s definitely a case of being on his home turf for the performance as he also grew up in the region, graduating from Francis Douglas Memorial College in 2017.

“That was where I was first introduced to brass instruments through itinerant lessons, which also meant I got time out of class.”

While he is playing trombone in the orchestra, an instrument he began playing about five years ago, it’s not his “main instrument” he says.

“My main instrument is the euphonium but I enjoy the different sound, style, and challenge the trombone offers. It’s a versatile instrument with so much character. You can get it to ‘bark’ or make it sound as smooth as anything. It’s at home in everything from jazz to brass bands and orchestras.”

Being part of the New Zealand Doctors’ Orchestra brings a feeling of connectivity with others, he says.

“As with any ensemble, the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself and the connection derived from that is an incredible experience. Within a group as large as the orchestra, that experience is amplified. Exploring where my instrument’s voice adds to the piece as a whole is exciting and amazing.”

Choosing to work in medicine was also partly about people, says Daniel.

“I love people. I love science. Medicine is an amazing intersection of the two where evolving science meets the unique individual and their health- such a critical aspect of the human person. I’m very blessed to be in medicine.”

Cellist Jacob Bond is another medical student in the orchestra who grew up in Taranaki. He attended New Plymouth Boys’ High School before heading to the University of Otago where he is now in his fifth year. He says he likes the versatility of the cello and its wide range.

“The cello is a profoundly expressive and sonorous instrument with a huge palette of resonant tonalities, emotions and colours that the player can utilise. I think that this instrument possesses a tone that is most similar to the human voice and it sings in such a pleasant manner that almost all listeners are quite captivated by the sound it produces; I haven’t noticed this effect in many other instruments. The cello also has a comparatively wide range - it plays low bass notes, middle baritone/tenor notes and high soprano notes all equally well.”

The versatility and expression of the instrument isn’t the only appeal of the cello, he says, adding it has a large amount of “top-notch” music specifically composed for it such as Dvorak’s cello concerto.

For Jacob, playing in the NZDO means spending time with fellow musicians who have more than just a love of music in common.

“The camaraderie of playing in an orchestra is really wholesome and being able to make music as a group with other health professionals/medical students who play to such a high standard makes this concert extra special. Seeing how these busy doctors take time out for this orchestra weekend highlights for us students the importance of fostering interests outside of medicine. The NZDO is a great way to meet doctors with a passion for classical music as well as being a time for discussion and mentoring on medical topics for us junior players. This orchestra also brings together students from the Otago and Auckland medical schools so it’s a good opportunity for us to network with future colleagues.”

The details:

What: The New Zealand Doctors’ Orchestra concert

When: Sunday, July 23 at 2pm

Where: Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace, New Plymouth

Tickets: $25 ($10 for under 18s). Available from the box office and door sales on the night. Also available from Ticketek.