Poetry, lyrics to bind music and art in Sound Canvas
A culmination of music, visual art, theatre and poetry will be on display in Whanganui’s Opera House.
Whanganui Brass Band, alongside local artists, will share the mix of arts with the public this month at the Sound Canvas performances.
Whanganui Brass Band musical director Bruce Jellyman says the show will be immersive, with the band, artists and audience all on the same level.
“It’s going to be an intense and exciting experience. It’s a full-on art experience with music, pictorial art, song lyrics and poetry all mashed together.”
He says this is the band’s fourth Sound Canvas series.
“It’s going to be different than in the past. We’re using more technology this time and the music will be more modern. The show will use much- higher-quality LED screen technology to show all of the amazing art on a large scale within the audience and performance space.”
Bruce says as always, the music is going to be continuous through the entire show.
“It will provide a sound canvas of emotive colouring to experience at close hand, reflecting each piece of the art and poetry’s intrinsic energy, mood and feeling. We will have local contributions from Anthonie Tonnon’s Leave Love out of This, with its dark-toned lyrics, and Hamish Jellyman’s brand-new premier of From Dusk till Dawn through a child’s eyes — a four-movement piece with an innocent vibe moving from heavy to light and uplifting tones.”
New to the performance is the appearance of a guest singer.
“Bethany Coleman will be joining us with her warm-toned alto voice.”
This year, the performance uses art from the Whanganui Artist Open Studios.
“One guest is Kate Yesberg, whose
art is described as abstract painting comprising elaborate compositions of colour and strong geometrics, often in large form. Kate names each series for its intrinsic energy, mood, feeling or experience.”
He says poetry and song lyrics will be used to bind the music and art together.
“All of the poetry is from New Zealand, with strong Whanganui contributions from Airini Beautrais and Joan Bullock-Morrell performed with a sonic and visual experience.”