Classics to cabaret

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 12

Classics to cabaret

The Christchurch Festival, which will continue until Sunday, March 18, presents a range of entertainment opportunities wider than ever before offered in the city. About 80 events have been arranged, with artists travelling from London,

Japan to take part. Classical music will be presented by John Ferguson, Walter Goedde, the Hanami Ensemble and Shizuka Ishikawa; and choral singing by Chor Farmer, the Aurelian Singers, the Jubilate Singers and the Phoenix Singers. Safe As Houses, From Scratch and the Primitive Art Group will be here to present modern and out-of-the-ordinary music, while the folk singer, Tom Paxton, will give one performance at the James Hay Theatre tonight at 8 o’clock.

Other offerings will include Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” by the Actors Touring company; modern dance by Molissa Fenley and the Limbs Dance Company, and classical dance by the New Zealand Ballet.

The Limes Room of the Christchurch Town Hall has

been specially decorated, fitted with a stage, a sound system and lighting, ready for the Christchurch Festival Cabaret—a night club to serve festival patrons.

From tomorrow evening until Saturday, March 17, a resident band of Christchurch’s top jazz musicians will provide the music for the cabaret from 9.30 to 11 o’clock, when the evening’s guest artist will take the stage.

The entertainment will continue until the small hours, with a big variety of music to dance and relax to. The resident band is Tom and Paul Rainee, Jonathon Taberner and Eric Jackson. Each evening, they will include a slot of thematic music: wing, be-bop, big band or free jazz, featuring the city’s leading specialists, Tim O’Hara, Vince Clark, lan Edwards and Gerry Marsden.