Music
Search this list of all my publicly available works using the search box, or the category and year lists. Information about each work includes where to buy, borrow or listen to it.
Poroporoaki
For string quartet
Poroporoaki was written for the New Zealand String Quartet to play at the Zhejiang Conservatory in Hangzhou during at festival celebrating the work of Jack Body, and focusing on transcription and collaboration.
About the work
Poroporoaki, which translates from Māori as ‘calls of farewell’ transcribes the sounds of taonga pūoro as played by Richard Nunns. The instruments transcribed are the putatara (shell trumpet), karanga manu (bird caller), nguru (flute), tumutumu (percussive), poi awhiowhio (whirled gourd — bird caller) and putorino.
Poroporoaki is is dedicated to Richard Nunns.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
The New Zealand String Quartet has recorded Poroporoaki for Atoll.
There are 3 RNZ Concert recordings online performed by the New Zealand String Quartet.
Shadows cross the water
For oboe, piano and string quartet
The first performance of this work, then called Tamariki, was given by the Stamic Quartet with Vilém Veverka (oboe) and Patricia Goodson (piano) in Prague on 9 December 2014.
About the work
2014 marked the 70th anniversary of the arrival of New Zealand’s first refugees, more than 700 Polish children who were cared for at a specially prepared camp in Pahīatua north of Wellington. The anniversary led me to consider the terrible and dislocating movement of children in times of war.
As I wrote this piece, 2 significant and dear friends – Peter Maxwell Davies and Jack Body – were terminally ill, so there are many interpretations of the title — which was taken from a Greg O’Brien poem.
Score and recording
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Shadows cross the water — SOUNZ
A recording, released by Rattle CDs, can be bought from SOUNZ and all good record stores.
Song without words
For solo violin, viola or cello
The first performance of Song without words was given by cellist Rolf Gjelsten in Wellington on 2 February 2014 at a private function.
About the work
Song without words was written to mark the occasion of Helen Young’s departure from Wellington to live in Auckland. Helen was always a champion of New Zealand music during her years as manager of Radio New Zealand Concert.
Instrumentation
The piece has been written to be played by violin, viola or cello — a score exists for each of the 3 instruments.
Score
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Venetian mornings
for flute, bassoon and piano
Venetian mornings was commissioned by University of Waikato’s School of Music, and given its first performance by the Donizetti Trio on 14 May 2014 at the Gallagher Concert Chamber at Waikato University.
About the work
Venetian mornings is dedicated to Jack Body, in celebration of his 70th year, and reflects our first encounters in Venice, where we used to meet for breakfast.
Score and recording
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Hear and watch a recording of a performance by the Donizetti Trio.
E Haki
For solo voice
Text by the composer
‘Haki’ is the Maori transliteration of ‘Jack’. E Haki was written for Mere Boynton to sing at a celebratory concert for Jack Body’s 70th birthday concert in Auckland on 30 April 2014. It was again sung by Mere at his memorial 13 months later.
About the work
A traditional Maori form uses the movement of the poi, telling of a journey around Aotearoa, linking places of significance to the singer, in terms of whakapapa, or ancestry. In terms of performance, E Haki will usually be preceded by a karanga — a call summoning the people, and explaining the purpose of the gathering.
About the text
My poi tells of Jack’s journey over plains and rivers from Te Aroha to Auckland then swings over the great waves to the places of learning in Europe. My poi shimmers in the warm air of Indonesia, home of Yono, Jack’s dearest friend, then skims like a flying fish home to Wellington.
A rangatira, kind and generous, strong-hearted, of peaceful spirit.
A branch of the titoki will not break.
Is there a river so wide it cannot be crossed?
His music is that of the tui, his voice that of the bellbird.
This is the composer, this is the man we celebrate.
Dance, Jack, today.
Score and recordings
The score is reproduced in Jack! celebrating Jack Body, composer published by Steele Roberts.
See performances of E Haki online
E Haki at 2014 Jack Body 70th year tribute concert — video
Out the window breath, bone, feather
For cello, flute and clarinet
Out the window breath, bone, feather was commissioned with funding from Creative New Zealand, and supported by Carol Brown’s research award through the University of Auckland NICAI’s Faculty Research and Development Fund.
About the work
Choreographer Carol Brown and I devised Out the window breath, bone, feather — in collaboration with 8 exceptional performers, dramaturge Fiona Graham, photographer Solomon Mortimer and performance designer Kasia Pol — while I held the 3‐month University of Otago Wallace Residency at the Pah Homestead in Auckland. A performance on 21 October 2013 was the culmination of the residency — the music was performed by Luca Manghi (flute), Katherine Hebley (cello) and Andrew Uren (clarinet).
It is a site-specific piece in which the audience is led through Auckland’s Pah homestead from the portico to the crater behind the building. Working with sung and spoken text, dance, original music and working with the evocative paintings of Star Gossage, the piece allows glimpses into the history of the land, the house and its inhabitants.
It references prehistory with the dance of the moa, the use of the site as a Pah, the building of the house and the first family, the subsequent use of the building to house immigrants, as a boys’ home and as a convent. Today it is an art gallery and park for the people of Auckland.
Scores and recording
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Out the window breath, bone, feather — SOUNZ
Hear and watch a recording of the performance at the Pah homestead.
Out the window breath, bone, feather — video
Interview
Before a season at the 2015 Auckland Festival, Carol Brown and I were interviewed on RNZ Concert.