Voice and instrumental ensemble
Pao
For soprano, clarinet and piano
Whakatau-kī translated from Māori by Margaret Orbell
Pao was commissioned by the Northumberland-based Syrinx Trio, with financial assistance from Northern Arts. They gave the first performance in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1981.
About the work
Pao is the name given by Māori to 2-lined epigrammatic songs which comment on a wide range of subjects such as love, war, politics or religion, often topical, often improvised.
Most of the songs set here were collected in 1864 from Māori prisoners captured during the land wars in the Waikato area south of Auckland. The couplets are not connected in any way except for the central group, set for unaccompanied voice, concerning Pikeri, a character famous at the time for his escapades evading the police; in this instance, enforced separation during a love affair is charted.
The central section, Pikeri can be performed separately.
About the text
Margaret Orbell’s English translations of these pao, published in her Māori Poetry, an introductory anthology (Heinemann, 1978), are used with her kind permission.
Score
Pikeri was published in Kowhai an album of songs by New Zealand women composers. It is now out of print.
Buy or borrow the score of Pao from SOUNZ.
Riddles 2
5 songs for voice and piano
Text by Bill Manhire
The first performance of Riddles 2 was given by Jane Manning (soprano) and Margaret Nielsen (piano) on 31 March 1978 at Victoria University of Wellington.
About the work
The New Zealand poet, Bill Manhire, wrote a series of poems based on the Anglo-Saxon riddle form, specifically for setting to music, and I’ve used 5 of these in this cycle. Although there are suggested answers to the riddles, the poet prefers that the answers come from the imagination of the listener.
Score and recording
A score, donated by Price Milburn Music, is in the Alexander Turnbull Library.
RNZ Concert recorded the premiere performance.
These isles your dream
For mezzo-soprano, viola and piano
Text by Kathleen Raine
These isles your dream was commissioned, with assistance from Northern Arts, and premiered by mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Lamb in 1983 in Carlisle, United Kingdom.
About the work
These isles your dream is a series of very short poems set as a single movement.
Score and recording
Buy or borrow the full score from SOUNZ.
These isles your dream — SOUNZ
An RNZ Concert recording from 1993 is available online.
Three pieces for Gail
for solo violin
This work was written as a tribute to Martin Lodge (1954–2024) and premiered by Lara Hall on 26 April 2025 at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts in Hamilton. It was part of a commemoration concert which featured works by some of Martin’s closest composer friends.
About the work
This work is dedicated to Martin’s wife, Gail Pittaway.
Recording
A recording of the premiere, along with tributes by other senior New Zealand composers, has been released by Rattle Records.
Review
Elizabeth Kerr reviewed the commemoration concert for her blog.
Three Sephardic Songs
3 Yiddish songs for mezzo and baroque ensemble
Texts: anonymous
The first performance of Three Sephardic Songs was given by Ana Good (mezzo) with Rare Byrds at a central Dunedin music venue called Dog with Two Tails in 2016.
About the work
The songs are:
- Schluf mein Tochter — a lullaby
- Leg ich mir mein Kapele — what happens when I lay my head beside that of first my mother, then my mother-in-law, and finally my husband, and
- Zum, zum — a nonsense song.
Instrumentation
The work is scored for: 2 recorder players — playing descant, alto, tenor and bass — guitar, spinet, violin, bass viol.
The instrumentation is not set — you can substitute appropriate instruments.
Score
Contact me to see the score.
Three songs of Janet Frame
For soprano flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, guitar and double bass
Poems by Janet Frame
Three songs of Janet Frame was originally written for performance at a Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM) meeting in Durham, but the first performance wasn’t given until October 1972 by a SPNM Ensemble conducted by Henry Ward with Jane Manning (soprano) at the Purcell Room, South Bank, London.
About the work
This work sets 3 poems by Janet Frame from her 1967 collection: Question, The sun speaks at Perihelion and Chant. They are set in a single movement separated by short interludes.
Instrumentation
The scoring includes alto flute and bass clarinet.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the score, and hire the parts from SOUNZ.
Three songs of Janet Frame — SOUNZ
There is an archival recording at SOUNZ from a 1978 performance.