Christchurch Arts Festival 01 – July 18 – August 5 2001, Part 2

Excitement building as the Festival date approaches

Festival team takes to the streets It was all hands on deck for the Christchurch Arts Festival team on Tuesday June 5 at 12.30pm when they took to the streets to put up the first of the six Festival posters in this year’s campaign on the corner of Montreal and Gloucester St. The posters designed by Hamish Meikle and Alison Downing of Circle Design reflect the Festival theme ‘the view beyond the plain’, and are a totally new look from those of the previous festivals.

Festival Director Guy Boyce says he is delighted with the concept that Hamish and Alison have come up with. "I look forward to the public’s reaction as the campaign develops. The posters are stunning and have truly captured my vision for the theme, ‘the view beyond the plain’."

The programme

Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman Canterbury opera

Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado Carl Rosa Opera Company United Kingdom For many lovers of Gilbert and Sullian key attractions about this production are that it is an authentic recreation of the original 1885 Savoy Production, with an outstanding cast of stars and a full chorus and orchestra and that the costumes are the Academy Award winning costumes from the film, Topsy Turvy. The original prompt book used by Gibert himself is the basis of the direction, the staging and the choreography. Theatre Royal July 25 – 28 8pm, July 29 5pm, July 26, 29 1pm, July 28 2pm Duration 2 hours 20 minutes

Elizabeth Campbell Australia Part of the TOWER International Series. Elizabeth Campbell, outstanding Australian mezzo-soprano, has agreed to take the place of fellow Australian Suzanne Johnston who has had to cancel all her engagements for health reasons. Elizabeth Campbell made her operatic debut with the West Australian Opera in 1983 and has performed frequently with all of Australia’s leading Symphony Orchestras. She is currently performing in a world premiere of an Australian opera, Batavia, in the role of Maria.

Sharolyn Kimmorley Australia Sharolyn Kimmorley, one of Australia’s finest coaches and accompanists, will be Elizabeth Campbell’s accompanist. She joined the Music Staff of The Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) in 1975 having gained the Diploma of Music Education and Diploma of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Since that time, she has held the posts variously of Principal Repetiteur, Head of Music, Artistic Administrator, and since January 2000, Director of Music Administration. Her long association with Opera Australia is distinguished by the preparation of a vast range of works with many esteemed singers and conductors. James Hay Theatre July 29, 7pm Duration 2 hours

TOWER New Zealand Youth Choir Artistic Director Dr Karen Gryllis The New Zealand Youth Choir was formed in 1979 to provide training to encourage young singers in choral music. The choir has won a number of international awards. In 1992 they won the Silver Rose Bowl in the Let the Peoples Sing competition as best choir in a field of twenty six choirs from fifteen countries. The choir has toured in North America and Australia. In 1999 the choir undertook an international tour to Europe in June and July. The highlight was winning the Choir of the World title at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. They followed this with Grand Prix Slovakia a week later. The tour also included Ireland, the Czech Republic, Vienna, London and Singapore. Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament July 28, 8pm Duration approx 2 hours

Elvis and the Devil New Zealand Chamber Orchestra This group will present what the Festival programme describes as "a top notch programme delivered with a wicked sense of fun". The performance includes the world premiere of a work by David Downes, Kurt Weill cabaret songs, Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis, and a staged performance with three actors and a dancer of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. The updated translation of the tale involves a Kiwi soldier returning from his tour of duty in East Timor and selling his violin to a stranger. The performers include Helen Medlyn as soloist and narrator, Jemaine Clement as the Devil, Taika Cohen as the soldier and Sonya Behmes as the dancer. James Hay Theatre August 1, 8pm Duration approx 2 hours

Jerusalem String Quartet Israel Alexander Pavlovsky – 1st violin Sergei Bressler – 2nd violin Amichai Gross – viola Kyril Zlotnikov – cello The Jerusalem Quartet, who are all just in their early twenties, have already established a reputation as one of the most interesting and dynamic quartets of their generation. They studied at the Jersualem Music Centre and have already established themselves on the international music scene. Hilary Finch, reviewing their performance in The Times, London, in March 1999 wrote: "The sheer imaginative virtuousity of Haydn’s opening of his Quartet Op 76 No 4 – sonority more that theme, with the music taking form almost in spite of itself – was equalled by that of the players. Their intensity of listening made an immediate mark and developed into the finest shading and modulating of voices." James Hay Theatre July 25, 8pm Duration 2 hours

Auckland Philharmonia Patricia Wright (soprano) Music Director: Miguel Harth-Bedoya 2000 marked the 20th anniversary of the Auckland Philharmonia, Auckland’s resident professional symphony orchestra. The orchestra has 68 core permanent players and a pool of over 100 associate musicians who augment the orchestra’s playing strength when necessary. The orchestra is committed to supporting New Zealand composers and musicians. For this, its first visit to Christchurch, it has commissioned a new work with a Canterbury theme from New York-based expatriate Juliet Palmer. Patricia Wright will be singing with the orchestra in two highlights from the operas of Richard Strauss – the closing scene from Capriccio and an aria from The Egyptian Helen. In the second half of the concert the orchestra will play Sibelius Symphony No 2. Town Hall Auditorium July 21, 8pm Duration approx 2 hours

Ifoga Composer, Conductor: Igelese Ete Choreographer: Teokotai Paitai Lyricist: Jakki Leota Ete In 1999 the Festival commissioned Samoan composer and arranger Igelese Ete to create a new 60-minute work, Malaga. This work was performed by a choir of 200 young people drawn from the 9,000 strong Pacific Island community in Christchurch. For 2001 the Festival has commissioned Igelese Ete, now Composer-in-residence at Waikato University, to work again with Pacific Island choreographer Teokotai Paitai to develop a new large-scale choral/dance extravaganza Ifoga. Ifoga’s centrepiece will be a toga/mat – a cloth of the earth incorporating four elements – earth, wind, fire and water – and four winds – a ‘double quartet’ which will be explored and developed through traditional instruments, voice and movement. From mother earth Ifoga will move on to focus on some of the difficult issues facing communities today. Town Hall Auditorium July 27, 2pm, 8pm Duration approx 1 hour

Spring Tides Christchurch City Choir Anne Grimm – soprano, The Netherlands Sally-Anne Russell – mezzo, Australia Benjamin Butterfield – tenor, Canada Paul Whelan – bass baritone, New Zealand Conductor: Brian Law Choristers of Christ Church Cathedral Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Britten’s Spring Symphony has been described as ‘an exuberant and joyful celebration of life’, with its brilliant international soloists, boys’ chorus and even cow horns. Delius’s Sea Drift is a setting of Whitman’s anguished love song. Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes complete a varied programme to conclude the Festival. Town Hall Auditorium August 4, 8pm Duration 1 hour 50 minutes

Jacques’s Back! Martin Setchell – organ Director: Yvonne Martin Bach’s Back last year was a performance which The Press critic David Sell called ‘a triumph’. Martin Setchell donned eighteenth century costume to talk about Bach’s life and play his favourite organ works. This year Frenchman Jacques will introduce us to his Parisian organist friends – Widor, Saint-Saëns, Guilmant, Dubois, Vierne, Fauré, Lefébure-Wély and others, relate a few of their great organ disasters, and play their best music on the Town Hall’s Rieger pipe organ. As he plays his hands and feet will be seen on a large screen. Martin Setchell’s busy programme includes teaching at the University of Canterbury School of Music, composition, research work, many recitals and concerts as soloist, accompanist and continuo player, and writing music reviews for The Press. Town Hall Auditorium August 2, 1.10pm, Duration 40 minutes 8pm, Duration 1 hour 20 minutes

Bach: Mass in B Minor – excerpts Choir and Orchestra of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Musical Director: Don Whelan Highlights of Bach’s Mass in B Minor will be presented within the Eucharist at the 10am service at Christ Church Cathedral by the Choir and Orchestra of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament – an ecumenical exchange. The choir has achieved international recognition after several successful overseas tours to Australia and to Europe performing in cathedrals and churches and leading the singing in St Peter’s for the 1999 Papal Christmas Midnight Mass to celebrate the Holy Year of Jubilee. Mass sung within the Eucharist: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei. Christ Church Cathedral August 5, 10am

Rua Ten Years After – Live in the Cathedral Jon Hooker – guitars Denny Stanway – vocals, bodhran, percussion Davy Stuart – cittern, fiddle, viola James Wilkinson – fretless bass, guitars James (Jimmy) McKenzie Young – Northumbrian pipes, flute, whistles, percussion With the Canterbury Caledonian Pipe Band Ten years ago there was a concert of Celtic music in the Cathedral. Now Rua is to present another. Rua is an international group with a common passion – Celtic music. Jimmy, the founder and leader of the band, is from Scotland, but most of his family came from Ireland. Davy comes from a very musical Edinburgh family. Denny is a Kiwi from Invercargill, fusing her love of acoustic contemporary music with Celtic music from her Irish roots. James is another Kiwi who began with Jazz and alternative music but was then captivated by Celtic music. Jon is English and loved Blues music and acoustic guitar, but then heard Rua play and was won over to Celtic music. Rua have toured all over the world and are the only group to have twice won the NZ Music and Entertainment Award for Best Folk Album of the Year. Christ Church Cathedral July 26, 8pm Duration 2 hours

Arts Centre Friday Lunchtime Concerts The Rosanze Quintet Catherine Irons – violin Bistra Dimitrova -violin Joanna Drimatis -viola Anna Harris – cello Cornelia Dragusin – piano Sandra Crawshaw – piano (for the Shostakovich) They will present the Shostakovich Quintet Op 57 and Bert Esser’s 1st Piano Quintet, the latter a world premiere of this work written specifically for the Rosanze Quintet. Robert McDougall Art Gallery Foyer July 20, 1.10pm Duration approx 1 hour

Massey Piano Quartet Richard Mapp – piano Yury Gesentsvey – violin Donald Maurice – viola David Chickering – cello This Wellington-based group will present the Mozart Piano Quartet in G Minor and the Brahms Piano Quartet in G Minor. Robert McDougall Art Gallery Foyer July 27, 1.10pm Duration approx 1 hour

For a programme giving information about other artists, prices, and a booking form Phone 0800 ARTS 01 (0800 278 701) Email admin@chchartsfestival.org.nz Fax 03 365 5569