Plenty of Bach on offer for music-lovers
Celebrated Kiwi cellist Christopher Hutton will give a recital in Taihape on May 31 as part of a whistlestop tour around New Zealand.
From Wellington, Hutton is the cellist of the Poinsett Piano Trio and is an associate professor at Furmann University in South Carolina, US, a position he has held since 2003.
He has performed all six of Bach’s Suites for solo cello.
The Bach-lover’s concert in Taihape will be titled Reflecting Bach and will include a movement from each of Bach’s Suites, illustrating different dance styles.
The programme will also include Suites by Benjamin Britten, Max Reger and others.
Hutton has performed widely in solo and chamber music recitals in New Zealand, the United States and Europe.
He has recorded for NZ Concert FM and in Germany.
He has played with the NZSO and orchestras in the US.
This time he is giving 11 recitals in 16 days around the country.
His recital in Taihape has been organised by the Taihape Music group.
One of the group’s founders in 1961, Helen Gordon, a musician herself, said the aim was to bring classical music to Taihape on a regular basis every year.
Already this year, organist John Wells has performed, bringing his own instrument to town, and in August English pianist Anthony Peebles will perform.
Next year, two concerts have already been organised - Spanish guitar performer Cheryl Grice and the group Hammers and Horsehair, which features a harpsichord, cello and singer.
Gordon said the group at present had about 40 members and through the concerts it put on had built up a ‘‘good audience’’ of followers of music.
Gordon said before living in Taihape she was a music student in Vienna and became a concert pianist.
‘‘Then I married a Taihape farmer, much to everyone’s astonishment.’’
That was 50 years ago, she said, but she was ‘‘still going strong’’.
The concert will be held at the Taihape Women’s Club in Tui Street. It will start at 7.30pm. Tickets will be available at the door. They cost $25 for adults, or two for $45, members $20, and students $5.