Duet Dances and Diversions

For the final concert of the 2021 Globe Sunday Matinee series Christine Archer-Lockwood and Guy Donaldson present a programme of Duet Dances and Diversions. In recent years they have performed duo concerts on two pianos, but for this concert they share the one piano stool at the Steinway piano.

Some of the music to be performed is amongst the most popular in the classical repertoire, including Dvorak’s own arrangement of one of his orchestral Slavonic Dances, Bizet’s arrangement of some of his Children’s Games Suite, and a nineteenth-century arrangement of Mendelssohn’s great work – the Hebrides Overture, otherwise known as Fingal’s Cave.

But the concert has some surprises as well. The setting of eight variations on a theme by Count Waldstein is little known, partly because it is an early work. However, it represents a statement to the musical world by the young Beethoven that his music is about to represent a break from the Classical tradition in its inventiveness and prodigious maturity.

The central piece on the programme is American composer John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances. The performers are grateful for their discovery of this great work, which is whimsical and diverting for the audience, and technically challenging for the performers. Equally amusing is a short foxtrot by New Zealand composer Edwin Carr.

Christine Archer-Lockwood was born and educated in Palmerston North and returned to the city in 2017. Her piano teachers were Beryl Bartlett (PNth) and Judith Clark (Wellington). She gained an Honours degree in Piano Performance at Victoria University of Wellington, post-graduate diplomas in teaching (Wellington) and music therapy (London), and a Masters in Music Therapy from Massey University, Wellington. Christine’s professional life has been as a primary school teacher; a music therapist in special education, early intervention, and private practice; a chamber musician, an accompanist, piano teacher, music director and conductor of choirs and orchestras. She is currently music director of the Renaissance Singers.

Guy Donaldson received his formative piano instruction from Maurice Collier, and then at Canterbury University with Maurice Till. In 1984 he studied in London with Paul Hamburger and Roger Vignoles. Guy was a senior lecturer in music education at Massey until 2004, when he took leave to pursue his passion for performance and music teaching. He is active in the Manawatu as a teacher, adjudicator, piano soloist, accompanist, chamber music player and music coach, and was for 30 years music director of the Renaissance Singers.

Admission is by donation, recommended from $5.