Featherston-based singer Tamara Buckland says she's found the songs she's learning for this Sunday's 'Farewell Zealandia' concert surprising.
'They are in English, for a start!' says soprano Buckland has previously performed with NZ Opera and is used to being given songs in French, German and Italian to learn. 'Sometimes when you are singing music that has been uncovered from a long time ago, it can be quite tricky and obscure but these songs are quite upbeat and catchy, and the lyrics definitely have a Kiwi flavour. I could see myself humming these around the house.”
The Sunday concert is the first of a three-part series to be held at ANZAC Hall, Featherston, celebrating recently rediscovered songs written by New Zealand composers and writers of the early 1900s, many of whom were soldiers themselves or had family serving overseas. The series accompanies an exhibition at the Hall devised by music historian David Dell and social historian Tony Rasmussen.
'I'm thrilled with the high calibre of singers and musicians we've been able to gather,' says Dell. The first concert features Buckland, Roger Wilson and another soloist, plus an 11-piece 'salon orchestra'- the musical format used to accompany silent films of the time.
Among the players are another Featherston local Kate Mead (Radio NZ Concert), former NZ Symphony player Victoria Jones, and Makoura College graduate Thomas Nikora on piano. The group will be conducted by Brett Lowe.
The audience and musicians alike are in for a moving time, if past performances of the songs are anything to go by, says David. 'We recorded a selection of these songs with Radio NZ Concert in Auckland recently, and that was an absolutely magical two days. The musicians knew nothing about the music at the start but once they heard the stories and started playing, you could see in their eyes they were really connecting.'
Again, Dell will give the background to the songs on the day, so the singers and musicians will be hearing these for the first time along with the audience. Sound engineer Neil Maddever will be recording the concerts for forthcoming CDs.
'Farewell Zealandia: Forgotten Kiwi Songs of World War One.' Featherston ANZAC Hall, 62 Bell St, Featherston. CONCERT SERIES: 27 March; 10 April; 24 April all at 2pm. EXHIBITION: 4 March - 25 April, 10am-3pm daily. Tickets $20 (waged) and $15 (unwaged) - or for all three concerts $50 / $40.
Available from Masterton & Martinborough i-Sites and the Featherston Information Centres or by emailing David Dell E: [email protected].
Caption: New Featherston resident Tamara Buckland, one of the singers in the 'Farewell Zealandia' concert series, and a song sheet cover of one of the songs that will be featured.