On July 9, the Sphaera Ensemble performed three of my pieces, The Attic, Reclusion and In Their Light, in a concert at the Sesi Theatre, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. I conducted these three and other pieces with the ensemble while I was there in December/January. They first performed The Attic in 2008. Reclusion and In Their Light have been added to their repertoire this year.
Here are some photos of the concert and a video of The Attic performance (taken by Laira Dalileia):
Last year Kristin School commissioned a piece from me for their amazing award-winning choir, Euphony, to include in their 2010 repertoire. They premiered it at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 16th June 2010. See the video below:
It uses the text from Bub Bridger’s poem, Wild Daisies.
The choir was once again successful in getting through to The Big Sing Finale, along with many other choirs from around New Zealand. You can see the full list of these choirs at The Big Sing website.
Wild Daisies is notated for SSA choir and if anyone is interested in buying a copy please let me know.
On Saturday 8th May, Moana Ataahua, the 2009 SOUNZ Community Commission, was premiered at the 2010 ERUPT Lake Taupo Festival by the Taupo Choral Society, Tauhara College Choir, Great Lake Big Band, Taupo Youth Wind Band, Taupo Concert Band, and Tauhara College Stage Band and was conducted by Justin Gibbs. Before we get to the concert, the day before we had a final rehearsal and the recording.
The recording
It was such a special project and one that so many people were involved with, so making a recording to keep as a memory was an absolute must. I have not personally heard it yet, but I have been told that it sounds great. See all the photos from the evening here, a selection is below:
The choir, most are hiding behind the curtain.
Keeping an eye on things.
Percussion.
The rest of the percussion.
Clarinets, saxes.
Flutes, trumpets
The orchestra.
Everyone.
Justin Gibbs getting in to it.
The concert
The morning setup and sound check went well and the weather (thank goodness) was pleasant. The concert was the groups all performing their own set, leading up to Moana Ataahua at the end. They absolutely nailed it! Far better than the recording the night before and by far the best they ever performed it. Stephen Gibbs at SOUNZ said:
The well-rehearsed group gave a committed and enthusiastic performance of the work that was equally well-received by the audience. The compositional skills that Ryan brought to the work were apparent in the way that he was able to layer, mix and blend relatively straight-forward musical lines for such a wide range of voices and instruments. The result was a work full dynamic changes: verve, interest, subtlety, and volcanic energy leaving performers and audience with a suitable sense of grandeur.
“If Lake Taupo were a piece of music, what would it sound like?” was the Festival’s introduction. Ryan provided an apt answer.
See the entire SOUNZ article here. Here are some photos from the setup:
Bird's-eye view.
Percussion.
Mics galore.
Sound gear.
Sound desks.
Stage.
The concert selection (see most photos here and the rest here):
Drew James (festival director), Justin Gibbs (conductor), Ryan Youens (composer). Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
Taupo-nui-a-tia College kapa haka group. Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
Taupo-nui-a-tia College kapa haka group. Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
The main event. Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
Going well... Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
Everyone on stage.
Justin Gibbs getting in to it. Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
Done.
With some of the choir members. Photo by Stephen Gibbs (www.sounz.org.nz).
It was such a big project for the community, they were proud of it, they put so much rehearsal time into it, and all stops were pulled so to see the polished and fine performance at the end of the journey was just fantastic. In the weeks leading up to premiere I was looked after so well by the ERUPT festival and the community so a huge thank you to everyone. A big thank you must also go to festival director Drew James who thought of the project and SOUNZ for making it happen with their community commission.
Two weeks ago I travelled down to Taupo for the first big rehearsal of Moana Ataahua. Brilliant. Really good. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, thank goodness, and managed playing it well on first attempt. Justin Gibbs, the conductor, says:
“Smoldering, bubbling, swelling and ultimately eruptive! Moana Ataahua (Beautiful Lake) by Ryan Youens embraces all that Taupo represents. The violent yet beautiful geological processes that have heaved up and carved out our part of the world are represented here in music. Thundering percussion, shrill woodwind, triumphant brass and lyrical, arching melodies in the choir unite to create a composition that leaves you breathless until the final thump. Written with an intimate understanding of how community music operates, Moana Ataahua is sure to release an eruption of pride in our town.”
Here some photos from rehearsal number one:
Clarinets, saxes, choir.
Helping out with the percussion.
Alto Sax music.
Checking the score.
Singing along.
We also took the opportunity to visit the venue again.
The town is red with ERUPT.
Rehearsal number two, a week later, was a huge step up in standard. The orchestra started to become very tight and the choir, as you will notice in the photos, tripled in size from the first rehearsal so the balance was much better. The community seems to be really enjoying the project, some very good musicians just turned up and wanted to be involved. Here are a few pics of this second rehearsal:
Sing choir, sing.
Sounding good choir.
Some of the percussion section.
What fun.
Justin Gibbs at helm.
Yes!
It is an absolute joy to be at each of these rehearsals and see the work progressing. Heading down again this Sunday for a final rehearsal, ahead of the recording next Friday and premiere next Saturday:
Huge thanks and congratulations to all those involved. I look forward to rehearsal three in a few days.
SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music, who commissioned Moana Ataahua for the ERUPT Lake Taupo Festival with their SOUNZ Community Commission, published an article about the project on 19th April, 2010:
“If Lake Taupo were a piece of music, what would it sound like?
An answer to this question will be given by more than 150 musicians on the afternoon of Saturday 8 May when, as part of the ERUPT Festival in Taupo, they present a free concert in the Unison Amphitheatre on the banks of the Waikato River. The highlight of the concert will be the premiere performance of Ryan Youens’ Moana Ataahua (beautiful lake), the musical result of a 2009 SOUNZ Community Commission.
This new work is the epitome of what the SOUNZ Community Commission is about bringing together the Taupo Choral Society, Tauhara College Choir, Great Lake Big Band, Taupo Youth Wind Band, Taupo Concert Band and Tauhara College Stage Band under the musical direction of Justin Gibbs who is Head of Music at Tauhara College and conducts four of the above groups.
Ryan also involved the wider Taupo community in the early stages of the work’s conception. “Last year, in September,” Ryan explains…” …read the whole article here…
Find that out on Saturday 8th May when Moana Ataahua is premiered at the 2010 ERUPT Lake Taupo Festival. It is written for the Taupo community and commissioned by the SOUNZ Community Commission.
Over the last two months I have been writing, writing, writing this piece day and night and finally on Friday it was complete and in the post. We described it in the programme as “a spectacular mix of symphonic, choral and percussive elements that will erupt into an exciting finale” and that surely is what it is. It is 14 minutes in duration and works through various pictures of Taupo as expressed to me by four local poets, whose texts are used throughout the work.
The piece will be performed by a 150 strong ensemble ranging from young players to professional players and involves five community groups. It was a joy to write – knowing the players, venue and occasion made the ideas flow nicely.
Rehearsals are underway and in the next week or two I may go down to help out and see how it is all going.
Here is the huge amount of music printed and prepared for each ensemble, and all set for the post.
Some ERUPT festival links:
Stay tuned.
When my wife and I returned from South America in January, my first task was to write a piece for my then 3-month old niece. We were due for a visit and I knew I wanted to do something nice, so this seemed perfect!!
Always fun writing for something so specific, and of course trying to impress, trying to trigger a smile (or heck, trying to send to sleep) is the all important task.
It is mainly a piano solo but it also features a celesta to provide some highlights along the way.
Hope you enjoy it.
(courtesy of www.taupofest.co.nz)
If Lake Taupo was a piece of music, what would it sound like?
New Zealand composer Ryan Youens’ mass musical work, commissioned especially for ERUPT 2010 through the SOUNZ Community Commission, takes its inspiration from the people and places of Taupo.
Featuring lyrics submitted by local writers, Moana Ataahua is a spectacular mix of symphonic, choral and percussive elements that will erupt into an exciting finale.
Drawing together musicians from Taupo Choral Society, Tauhara College Choir, Great Lake Big Band, Taupo Youth Wind Band, Taupo Concert Band, and Tauhara College Stage Band, a 150-strong ensemble will premiere Moana Ataahua in the picturesque surrounds of the Unison Amphitheatre on the banks of the Waikato River.
Auckland-based Youens has arranged for concerts, films and publishing, including arrangements on Rhian Sheehan’s soundtrack for TV2’s The Cult, and his own compositions have been performed throughout New Zealand, Europe and South America.
Bring your cushions and rugs, enjoy the blaze of autumn colours and celebrate the spirit and beauty of Taupo.