Rhapsody Rotorua 2017

So I just got back from a seriously good few days in Rotorua, adjudicating at the Rhapsody Rotorua Music Festival, alongside the rather legendary Owen Clarke. It's a festival populated by mainly Australian groups, popping across the ditch for some music and adventure, but it always has a collection of New Zealand groups, and is a great performance opportunity for local groups from the Bay of Plenty region.

Days one and two are adjudicated sessions directly followed by clinics with an adjudicator - this was good fun, great to hear and work with so many groups.

These two days finish with rehearsals of the combined and honours groups. I took the combined string ensemble of 61 players. It was mammoth - 15 firsts, 22 seconds(!), 6 violas, 13 cellos and 5 basses. We enjoyed working on Sibelius, Holst and Leonie Holmes. Here they all are...

Day three is mainly a day of instrumental workshops with specialists. As a bit of difference I said I'd do one along the lines of 'composing for your school ensemble'. I thought I'd get 5, perhaps 10 people max. About six people turned up in the first wave, and I was about to shut the door, then I heard footsteps and I ended up with about 70 students all super excited and ready to hear some tips. We had a medium sized dressing room and were packed to the absolute brim, with people out the door too. Here they all are...

Concerts Thursday and Friday nights complete the festival, and the groups have concerts elsewhere too.

I managed three pretty impressive dinners while I was there, so I thought they deserve a mention. First night was Indian Star Tandoori Restaurant - super, super delicious, and it's located in the impressively modern Eat Streat precinct. Second night was Sabroso Restaurant - Mexican, heathy and completely hit the mark. Third night I hit the Rotorua Night Market - I remember having an almighty feast here when I was at the festival last time, but this one topped it - completely blew my socks off - glorious, fresh and great atmosphere too.

A really fun few days. Hopefully I can go back again one day!

BOP Music School photos

Had another great time conducting at the Bay of Plenty Music School a few weeks back. Great musicians, excellent music and wonderful fellow conductors made it loads of fun once again. Here are some photos from the weekend - all are by Lawrence Yang.

Here's my original post introducing this year's music school.

Bay of Plenty Music School 2013

In just over a month's time the Bay of Plenty Music School will be about to kick off for another year. This is a fantastic weekend of music making and, as it was last year, will be held in beautiful Rotorua. This year the conductors are Peter Thomas (symphony and string orchestra), David Squire (choir) and myself (wind orchestra).

The wind orchestra pieces will include:

• Arlen - The Wizard of Oz
• Ewazen - Celtic Hymns and Dances
• Copland - Down a Country Lane
• Schönberg - Les Miserables (Highlights from)
• Bernstein - Candide Overture (combined with the symphony orchestra)

Some of the other highlights will include:

• Lilburn - 4 Canzonas (string orchestra)
• Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet Overture (symphony orchestra)
• Verdi - Triumphal March from Aida (combined choir and orchestra)

It's being held from April 26th to 28th - clear your weekend, gather your mates and register here.

I survived 2012. This is how it was!

The New Year means it's time to have a look back over the past year and see, through my blog posts, what has taken shape and what I have to say for myself! January started with a very well deserved "Shout-out to VaultPress" after they marvellously got my website back up and running after a meltdown!

February is the start of the school term and I posted about the preparation work I do for schools.

My typing fingers must have been tired at the end of March - it started with two popular posts, iOS apps for music professionals and Digital music stands vs iPads, following on from, again, two very popular posts I did in 2010.

Following that were four posts on current projects - "Working on workshops" looked at some teaching workshops I was involved with, "An opportunity to make the floor rumble" talked about my upcoming new work for the Auckland Philharmonia and the Auckland Town Hall Organ. I conducted at the Bay Of Plenty Music School once again and my post, "Bay Of Plenty music school hit Rotorua!", pre-empted my visit there, and finally "Opening up an orchestra" reviewed the first two Auckland Philharmonia Open Days were I ran the "meet the composer" area.

In April I reviewed my time at the Bay Of Plenty Music School in "Making music in Rotorua" and posted photos in "Checking out the pipes" after an inspiring tour of the Auckland Town Hall Organ.

May is music month and "A month of New Zealand music" checked out the events me or my music was involved with. It's also 48 Hour Film Festival time and our film this year was "My Confession…".

In June I talked about my involvement with Auckland Symphony's "Night Of The Proms" concerts in "Promenading in the colony" and I posted "Questions for a composer" after answering questions for a student's school assignment.

In July I posted my one word review of each piece from the "Nelson Composers Workshop 2012" where I was very happy to go this year as a mentor.

August is KBB Music Festival time and I also posted on the ongoing saga regarding the future of Sibelius in "What the heck is happening with Sibelius!". My piece, Tiraki, started to take shape after another workshop with the Auckland Philharmonia.

September was rather dormant on the blog front but in October I reviewed “What Lurks Among Saints” after being invited by a student I met earlier in the year.

In November I had the privilege of "Playing my role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", and I posted about the experience.

December was busy with a number of projects. In "Little pieces of Christmas" I talked about a bunch of Christmas arrangements I did for the Auckland Philharmonia and Auckland Symphony orchestras. I also talked about a film I was involved with, called "Sounds Perfect" and its selection into the Tropfest final in “Sounds Perfect” to be in a final". I then prepared music for some very fine New Zealand singers and talked about it in "Preparing for some legends!".

Finally, no year is complete without a "Merry Christmas" post thanking you for all of your support during the year and the compliments of the season.

Another year ticked off the list, another year doing my absolute dream job - let's get ready for an even better 2013!

Making music in Rotorua

It is always fun gathering at the beginning of a weekend with a new group of people and by the end of it presenting a concert of great music. That was the case this weekend at another Bay of Plenty Music School.

I had a wonderful group of players, we worked hard and had fun putting the music together.

At the informal concert on Saturday night we performed the crowd pleasers:

• Prokofiev – Triumphal March from ‘Peter and the Wolf’
• Barry Gray – Thunderbirds

On the Sunday concert we performed:

• Khachaturian – Armenian Dances
• Ryan Youens – Bubble
• Rossini – William Tell Overture (Allegro Vivace)
• Bernstein/Sondheim - West Side Story (combined with orchestra)
• Trad. - A Te Tarakihi (combined with orchestra and choir)

It was a pleasure to work with fellow conductors Peter Watts and Peter Thomas - thanks for your support. Thanks to my brilliant wind orchestra players and to those who organised the very successful weekend.

BOP music school hits Rotorua!

The Bay of Plenty Music School is about to make some music once again! This year the school is happening between April 13th to 15th in Rotorua. It is an opportunity for choral, orchestral and band musicians to work on some fantastic repertoire in a relaxed environment.

I conducted there last year and it really is a wonderful weekend, meeting some great people, eating some great food and making some fantastic music together.

This year Peter Watts is conducting the choir, Peter Thomas the symphony and chamber orchestras and myself the wind orchestra (concert band/symphonic band...).

In the wind orchestra we will be working on:

• Rossini - William Tell Overture
• Prokofiev - Triumphal March from ‘Peter and the Wolf’
• Ryan Youens - Bubble
• Bernstein/Sondheim - West Side Story, 'selections'
• Khachaturian - Armenian Dances
• Barry Gray - Thunderbirds
• Philip Norman - The Ballad of Settler McGee
• Kamen - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves Suite

It should be another very enjoyable weekend finishing with a concert on Sunday afternoon. If you are interested in attending I would love to see you there. Enrollments need to be in by Monday 2nd April so visit the music school website and download the information and enrollment details.