THE BEST OF KIRI

Te Ao Hou, 1973, Page 60

THE BEST OF KIRI Kiwi Stereo/Mono SLC-85 12 in. LP 33 ⅓ r.p.m. If Kiwi reflects the requirements of the record-buying public—and one has every reason to suppose that they try and give the customers what they want—then the issue of two more Kiri records would seem to prove that Miss Te Kanawa's long absence studying overseas has done nothing to diminish the affection in which she is held by her fellow New Zealanders or the demand for her voice on record. These two latest records do not contain entirely new material but are no less welcome because of this. They provide something of a contrast. ‘Rainbow in the Sky’ contains songs which are indeed a far cry from the music which Kiri sings in the course of her operatic career. They are, for the most part, ballads and pop songs including ‘On a Clear Day’, ‘A Time for Us’, ‘A Day in the Life of a Fool’ (from ‘Black Orpheus’) and several others. Like most serious singers, Kiri obviously enjoys the chance to sing songs which, comparatively speaking, make little demand on her artistically but which allow her to relax, or, as the record cover says, ‘drift lazily’ or ‘swing stylishly’. These are apt descriptions of the mood of the record. In presenting Kiri at play, ‘A Rainbow in the Sky’ is sure to be popular and please her many fans. Although the range of music is wide, ‘The Best of Kiri’ shows Miss Te Kanawa in generally more serious mood. A simple Maori song of welcome ‘Haere Mai’, begins the record. Then she ranges through songs from shows such as ‘West Side Story’ and the ‘Sound of Music’ to operatic items from Strauss. Bizet and Puccini. In calling the record ‘The Best of Kiri’. producer Tony Vercoe says that ‘best’ is used in the sense of ‘most popular’ of all the music which Kiri has recorded to date. Certainly all who have enjoyed this young artist in the past on record, or in person, will not fail to welcome this disc which gives such a broad sampling of Kiri Te Kanawa's style and moods.