Five Lines is a collection of writings about music in Aotearoa New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. It features short articles, artist profiles and reviews of concerts, operas and albums. You can subscribe - it’s free - at the bottom of any story.
Somi Kim’s Pictures: virtuosity on full display
Somi Kim’s new album Pictures at an Exhibition pairs Mussorgsky’s piano masterpiece with a new work, Aotearoa Pictures, by New Zealand composer Janet Jennings.
Suite Aotearoa: magic woven from our natural world
Pianist Sharon Joy Vogan conceived, commissioned and performed the new works for the magical album, Suite Aotearoa, collaborating with taonga pūoro specialist Horomona Horo.
Beneath the trees: voices of women of Aotearoa
Beneath the trees: 21x21 is a new album of songs by 21 women composers of Aotearoa, setting words by our female poets. It’s an invaluable addition to the canon of New Zealand song.
NZ String Quartet: Unique counterpoints of Aotearoa
In their new album Notes from a journey ll, Te Haerenga, the New Zealand String Quartet continues its journey through the music of Aotearoa.
Force of Nature: Forest & Bird’s clarion call
A musical project celebrating the centenary of Forest & Bird brings nine new compositions to life and sounds a clarion call about conservation of Aotearoa’s native habitats and species.
The Earth Child: A Mansfield centenary tribute album
Composer Janet Jennings has curated a brilliant album as tribute to Katherine Mansfield, marking the centenary of the writer’s death and including her own setting of Mansfield’s Earth Child poems.
Soprano Morag Atchison’s debut album: The Distance
Morag Atchison’s debut album features the songs of composer David Hamilton in a beautifully performed recital.
Jenny McLeod at 80: “to me I’m always me…”
Composer Jenny McLeod died on 28 November 2022. In a birthday tribute in 2021 I wrote about the life and work of this brilliant and mercurial composer.
Sweet indulgence
A new CD of Romantic song transcriptions, Morgen shares the pleasures of beautiful and emotional music. Performed by Andrew Joyce, cello and Rae de Lisle, piano.