Mulled Wine Concert - Vocal Recital "Winter and Love"

Mulled Wine Concerts presents "Winter and Love" Vocal Recital.

As the golden days of summer and autumn pass into the colder and wetter days of the winter, music lovers will be enthralled by a concert at the Paekakariki Memorial Hall which presents beautifully poignant song-settings with texts from Shakespeare, Housman and Brecht, depicting love and ordinary life.

A duo of fine singers, soprano Maaike Christie-Beekman and baritone Robert Tucker are accompanied by pianist David Barnard in this unusual and different presentation of a song cycle drawn from many different writers. Mary Gow, organiser of the Mulled Wine Concerts, now in its fourteenth season in Paekakariki acknowledges that this format represents a new departure for the series.

"We usually present classical chamber music", she says, "with the occasional concert in a lighter vein, like our last concert featuring the Rodger Fox Jazz Combo. But our audiences have come to expect something adventurous, something that expands their musical horizons and so we have decided to showcase these very talented singers who have put together a delightful programme which is just right for a winter Sunday".

Maaike Christie-Beekman studied in the Netherlands and in France. She holds a master's degree in vocal performance and has sung opera, oratorio and chamber music throughout Europe. On moving to New Zealand, she was a Resident Artist for the New Zealand Opera and has sung in many performances with orchestras and choirs around the country. She assists the KAPITI CHORALE with training sessions. Robert Tucker hails from Australia, but was raised in Dunedin and now lives in Blenheim. He is a current Freemasons Opera Scholar with New Zealand Opera.
David Barnard, outstanding pianist, is Head of Accompanying and Vocal Coaching at the New Zealand School of Music coordinating the team of staff accompanists and vocal coaches. He is widely known and respected in the choral world.

The programme draws on songs by Arthur Somervell who draws on the poetry of A.E. Housman's "A Shropshire Lad" contrasted with the deeply intoxicating writing of Kurt Weil and his songs, alongside dreamy duets by Fauré and Schubert and the Hollywood Songbook of Hanns Eisler. A great opportunity for this seldom heard repertoire to be performed and in the intimate setting it was originally intended for. Kapiti concertgoers are in for an enthralling time!

Online sales: marygow@gmail.com
Info: 021 101 9609.

Available from Magpie at Paremata, 99 Mana Esplanade; D'Arcys Paekakariki Fruit Supply, 11 Beach Rd Paekakariki; Milk and Ginger, 18 Margaret St Raumati Beach; Moby Dicken's Bookshop, Paraparaumu Beach; La Chic Hair Design, Kapiti Lights, JENOA Shop. 2 Mahara Place, Waikanae.