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.
NZTrio: folksongs, dances and dreams
The NZTrio’s Homeland Three concert Dumky, toured throughout New Zealand, delighted the Wellington audience with energy and intensity.
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.
Woven Pathways: the NZ String Quartet reflects on the human experience
The concerts of the NZ String Quartet’s national tour, Woven Pathways, showed the power of a string quartet to explore emotions and experiences.
NZSO’s Emperor – Beethoven rules
Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, in a stunning performance by pianist Paul Lewis and the NZSO under conductor Eduardo Strausser, was the show-stealing centrepiece of a recent concert.
Music & Memory: a tribute concert for Barry Brickell
Music & Memory was a tribute concert for potter Barry Brickell, a remarkable event devised by Robert Oliver that linked 16th century music for viols, taonga pūoro, words and images to celebrate one of Aotearoa’s most original thinkers.
Moonstone: music from Aotearoa for viola and piano
Moonstone, a new album from Robert Ashworth (viola) and Sarah Watkins (piano) explores many voices and styles in music of Aotearoa.
Human significance
The tragic story of a condemned woman inspires a powerful work. A review of a new CD from Ross Harris and Vincent O’Sullivan.
Free Radicals – a view from the 1990’s
An excerpt from John Rimmer and Free Radicals: live electronic music in New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr, in the journal Contemporary Music Review (1991).
Quite doodling fashion
A Listener review from 1988 of a concert at Wellington’s Downstage Theatre by the live electronic group, Free Radicals.