Sonic Circus sheds sound

Press, 24 August 1976, Page 14

Sonic Circus sheds sound

Sonic Circus visited Christchurch this week-end— Two days of music-making and discussions about music among composers and musicians from throughout New Zealand.

The venture, promoted by Radio New Zealand in association with the Composers’ Association of New Zealand, and organised by Ranald McDonald, focused attention on problems faced by the New Zealand composer. The reasons for composing, the aims and ideals of composers, performing and publishing outlets for composers, the role and needs of professional and amateur performers —these kinds of questions were discussed in between many opportunities to listen to, and experience, recent music composed and performed by colleagues.

The central attraction on the Saturday afternoon was the Sonic Circus itself—where eight rooms at the Christchurch Arts Centre provided a variety of musical experiences.

These ranged from set piece piano performances, compositions for various chamber ensembles, choral works and electronic music, to “public rehearsals,” improvisations and experimentation in the “Sound Box.” Pop music and folk music took its place alongside art music as vital New Zealand musical expression. The Sonic Circus was buttressed by two concerts in the Ngaio Marsh Theatre on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Each two-hour programme had a crosssection of contemporary styles. The work of New Zealand’s senior composers David Farquhar and John Ritchie contrasted with compositions by others who emerged during the 1960s — such as John Rimmer, Jack Body, and lan McDonald. Sonic Circus each year reminds us of the many younger and lesser-known composers, many of whom are quickly gaining respect for their work—Ross Harris, Lyall Cresswell, John Cous-

ins, Dorothy Buchanan, Gil-

lian Bibby, and Christopher Norton. Inevitably in a presentation such as this (“nearly 400 performers: 36 composers represented . . .”) the quality of material and standards of performance differed widely. The expressed aim of hoping the public would “see the composer as a craftsman working in the community with a contribution to make” implied that value judgments of the works and of their performance should become of secondary importance. The personal preference of each listener would have affected responses to each work, but at least there was ample evidence of careful preparation of material which was never easy, often extremely demanding. It is encouraging to see how New Zealand composers have something worth while to say no matter how empirical, and that they have opportunities in Sonic Circus to share something of themselves with other people. —John M. Jennings.