The Living Arts

Press, 15 November 1977, Page 12

The Living Arts

Revival A name that was noted in New Zealand art during the fourth and fifth decades of this century reappears on the exhibitions list this >,eek. It is .John Weeks, who was born in 1888. died in 1965, and was one of the few New Zealand artists to get on the Honours List — he was awarded an 0.8. E. in 1958 for his services to New Zealand art. John Weeks began his art studies in Auckland in 1908, but interrupted them to serve in the Medical Corps in World War I. After the war he studied at the Christchurch School of Art, and later went to Scotland to attend the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal Scottish Academy. After a spell travelling in Europe he came back to Auckland to take up a teaching post in 1930 at the Elam School of Art — a post he regained until his retirement 24 years later. The revival of , his work is in the Brooke/Gifford Gallery, which has assembled 35 of his paintings. The specialists A new ensemble with a somewhat esoteric specialisation will give a recital in Christchurch on Sunday afternoon. It is the Trianon Ensemble, which plays eighteenth-century French music on instruments of the kind used in the eighteenth century. On Sunday members of the ensemble will play the bass viol, harpsichord, one-keyed flute, recorder and treble viol. The performers will be Rhona Lever, Peter Low, Julie Coulson, Barry Empson,

Marian Empson and Wendy Low. The aim of the group is to attract a wider audience for the music written in France at the start of the eighteenth century, because it believes that in grace and charm this music is equal to the work of Bach and Handel, composed shortly afterwards. One reason for this lack of popularity is that the music cf Couperin, Rameau, and Marais cannot be performed effectively on modern instruments, they say. Listeners will be able to decide for themselves in St Alban’s Methodist Church on Sunday afternoon. “2Vew” quartet The “New” Camerata Quartet will be heard for the first time on Sunday, when it gives a recital in Akaroa. The new second violinist, Kathryn Wilkinson, has replaced Chloe Moon, who has been awarded a scholarship to study in Belgium. Miss Wilkinson has been playing the violin since she was 10, was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for four years, and was a member of winning chamber music groups in the national secondary schools competition. She studied the violin at the University of Canterbury, where she played with the University Chamber Orchestra and with student .groups. Since graduating she has been free-lancing, Reaching, playing chamber music, and leading the Christchurch Youth Orchestra. The Akaroa concert, which will start at 5 p.m., will feature music by Haydn, Shostakovich, and Beethoven.