Duo recommends realistic view

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 18

Duo recommends realistic view

By

CATHERINE HARRIS

Former Christchurch oboist Catherine Cornish has a word of advice for young New Zealanders leaving to study music overseas: Don’t forget to learn how to make a living. Of course, she adds, that depends on the kind of musical career you decide to pursue. It’s a subject that both she and her English husband, Nicholas, have found lacking in music schools.

“You really get a false impression of what it is like out there,” says Nicholas, who attended London’s Royal College of Music, also as an oboist Shivering after an "English summer, the couple have come to New Zealand for a 10-week tour and holiday. Both are freelance musicians based in Surrey and usually teach or perform in Xerxes, the oboe trio they founded. Catherine Cornish first learned oboe' at the Christ church School of Instrumental Music.

She was principal oboe in the National Youth Orchestra from 1976 to 1979 while doing a B. Mus. at Victoria University, Wellington. She received a QEII Arts Council grant after graduating to study with John Williams, the principal oboe with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England. “I was very lucky,” she says. "I was staying with John and his wife, so there were lots of private lessons.”

Three days after she arrived, she went to one of the orchestra’s recording sessions and briefly met Nicholas Cornish. They did not meet again for three years. After a year with the Bournemouth Orchestra, Catherine went to London to take up lessons with other teachers and to find work.

Meanwhile, Nicholas had left the Royal College of Music and was playing in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s wind band, as well as various chamber groups.

In 1983 Catherine won the New Zealand musician prize in the Royal Overseas League Music Festival. Both were considering study in Europe when they met again and formed Xerxes.

“The thing about being a music student,” says Catherine, "is that you can study forever ... It seemed a good starting point”

Oboe trios are an unusual combination — in fact there are only two other such groups in England, says Nicholas. “They’re a bit of an acquired taste.”

Xerxes is different in other ways too, not least of which is its name. It was chosen because it was different which helped

when trying to attract a promotion agency. There was a “vague link” in naming the trio after an unsuccessful Persian king, as oboes historically came from Persia. With fellow oboist Tessa Ballard, they play a varied repertoire of classical and contemporary music, as well as incorporating poetry in their performances. Says Nicholas: “We found that poetry and music tended to complement each other.” The group has played regularly at the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre on South Bank, as well as performing throughout Britain. Few musicians are able

to play full-time for a living, and the couple spend much of their time touring schools teaching the oboe and music.

Teaching is the other half of Catherine’s career. “You don’t want to just perform because that is just looking at music in one way, and teaching is very constructive. You’ve got to understand exactly what you’re doing and put it into words for the children.” Nicholas is also specialising in dalcroze eurythmics, a method with percussion and movement, which teaches children about the rhythm of music rather than technique. “It’s teaching children to understand and feel

music before they start playing an instrument,” Catherine explains. Dalcroze eurythmics is not used widely in New Zealand, but Nicholas hopes to make contact with teachers who use it while touring here. ,V

To those musicians about to embark on an “OE,” the two have found that promotion and arranging take up more time than playing itself. “The competition Is very high,” says Nicholas, “but on the other hand you don’t want to dissuade people. The thing is to go overseas, get some experience and then see what field you want to be in.” T think if you’re going to be a freelance player, you’ve got to be so much more self-motivated,” Catherine adds. “I think you’ve always got to have an open mind and not expect things to be handed to you on a silver platter.”

While in Christchurch they will give four concerts. The first is an oboe and cor anglais recital on Sunday at the State Trinity Centre. They plan to travel before their next Christchurch performances. They will give a lunchtime recital at the Nelson School of Music on July 16 and a workshop at Catherine’s former haunt, the Victoria University music department Catherine will then play the Strauss “Oboe Concerto” with the Amici Orchestra at the Arts Centre on August 3 and a lunchtime recital at Canterbury University on August 7.

She will make a recording for Radio N.Z.’s Concert Programme and on August 8. That day both will give a lunchtime concert at the Art Centre’s Great Hall, when they will present Albinoni’s "Concerto for Two Oboes” and the "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.”

They have no particular plans when they return but Catherine thinks they may eventually end up in New Zealand. "I think we’d like to consider New Zealand as somewhere we could live and work.”