Anthony Ritchie Remember Parihaka musique orchestrale Still Hebley Uren Scholes - ACD129

For their debut disc ACO and Music Director Scholes have recorded four of Anthony Ritchie's smaller-scale orchestral works. In addition to the title work, the CD features Alexa Still in Ritchie's popular flute concerto; a moving Cello and Bass Clarinet concerto written for soloists Hebley and Uren; and iconic NZ poet Sam Hunt. “Ritchie writes that ‘the poems and music speak from the heart about everyday issues that concern ordinary people. There are poems about mothers, fathers, lovers, children and also dogs. They touch on life and death, and the little incidents in between that on the surface seem insignificant but have meaning for those involved.’ Little more needs be said – Hunt’s uncontrived presentation of poetry dealing with commonplace experience is profoundly moving in itself, and the readings are perfectly matched by Ritchie’s unpretentious musical canvas…” - Robert Johnson: Pressing On, Radio NZ Concert. "Soloists Alexa Still (flute), Katherine Hebley (cello) and Andrew Uren (bass clarinet) feature in works by the local composer. The orchestra is conducted by Peter Scholes. The Flute Concerto was composed for Still in 1993 and has since become Ritchie's most widely performed large-scale work. Two other works date from 1999: Double Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Cello and Coming To It, a setting of 10 poems by Sam Hunt, the narrator in this performance. The double concerto has "personal" movements (one caused by the birth of the composer's daughter and one by a friend's death) plus two playful dance movements."