2006 will see CYRE preparing for NZ Recorder Week to be held in Wellington in September. The Ensemble have been asked to present half of one evening concert, sharing the bill with Auckland Recorder Troupe.
Fund-raising, rehearsing and performing will be the focus of our preparation for this major event.
Draw card guest artist Peter Holtslag will be appearing at the Festival ? another contact for the CYRE to explore.
Born in Amsterdam, Peter Holtslag studied recorder at the Conservatorium of his native town, graduating ‚cum laude‘ in 1980, his leading sources of inspiration being Frans Brüggen and Kees Boeke.
From then onwards he has toured worldwide as a recorder and transverse flute player.
From 1984 to ’88 he taught at the Guildhall School of Music in London and in 1988 was appointed professor to both the Royal Academy of Music London and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg.
He was a guest lecturer at the City University London and holds numerous international master classes all over the globe ( Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Cracow, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Prague, St.Petersburg institutions &c. as well as summer courses ) . Peter Holtslag is one of the founding members of the Academia de Musica Antiga de Lisboa - an institution holding international summerschools in Portugal.
A distinguished soloist and chamber musician, playing worldwide, he shared the concert platform with musicians such as Gustav Leonhardt, William Christie, Roy Goodman and ensembles such as The English Concert, The Orchestra of the 18th Century, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, La Fontegara Amsterdam and recorded for radiostations all over the globe ( ABC Sydney, National Radio USA, WDR Köln, NOS Holland, BBC London etc ).
He started a partnership with Ketil Haugsand and Rainer Zipperling ( Trio NONAME , their first joint CD - with Blavet Flute Sonatas - was released on the Glissando label ) .
His more than 20 CD-recordings on most major labels ( such as DGG/Archiv, Hyperion, Chandos, &c. ) have won international acclaim .
He is an authority on the music of the 17th and 18th centuries and, unlike many other performers striving for „authentic“ renderings, Peter Holtslag prefers to see early music in the light of its rhetorical traditions rather than let it follow a stolid motoric course .
Cyre made a most successful and rewarding trip to Wellington in October 2006 to participate in yet another international event of musical significance for the RecorderWorld
We flew up on a drizzly day and dashed to the venue at Queen Margaret College not tooo far from the Beehive. A fairly pressured rehearsal was followed by a dash back to the Backpackers Hostel - an art nouveau building of fading grandeur (the Queen stayed there in 1951. Comfortable rooms and wholesome meals characterised our stay there).
A second dash through the drizzle after tea saw us preparing for the evening Opening Concert. The first half was delivered by CYRE's "sister ensemble", Auckland Recorder Troupe (ART), directed by Jessica Shaw. They impressed with a variety of different sized ensembles mainly playing 1 per part very challenging pieces from Loeki Stardust Ensemble's growing list of publications.
The second half was CYRE's turn and differed slightly in presentation by having a continuity script keeping the audience informed of the progression of styles and voicings. CYRE definitely benefits from the added variety allowed by the significant number of 8ft instruments owned by the group. The contrasts of 4ft and 8ft ensembes were heard in seaprate consecutive pieces and in perhaps our most ambitious undertaking yet Biber's Sonata for 10 instruments in 2 contrasting choirs.
Originally scored for 5 recorders (at 4ft pitch) and 5 strings at (8ft pitch), the CYRE presented it with two recorder ensembles, one at each pitch.
It was enthusiastically recieved along with the other works.
To end the concert, ART and CYRE combined in a big band Loeki arranagement of "In the Mood" scored for 4 sections. Again the audience gave generous support and we walked home through the drizzle in a buzz of satified achievement.
The rest of the week disappeared ina flash as we took classes and seminars, recitals and a closing feast.
On the final day after small groups played their achievements for the week, we had lunch and walked across Wellington, (via short detours to explore an historic and a modern church), to the Catholic Cathedral for Peter Holtslag's polished recital. Dashing out after the final notes had faded, we jumped into waiting vans and headed out to the airport. Thankfully we were able,to depart in fine weather, (just hours before a 4 day storm closed the airport!).
Post script: Radio New Zealand are to broadcast highlights of the opening concert in 2007.
Other 2006 activities included CSM Showcase with CYRE making unscheduled entrances to the auditorium playing a mobile rendering of New Braun Bag first introduced to the ensemble by Aldo Abreu. In this novel slightly anarchic setting, the audience were delighted with the surprise element combined with the catchy jazz-styled piece. What can we come up with next year?!
The end of 2006 saw CYRE appear as solo guests with Christchurch's highly acclaimed Cecilian Singers. Warmly appreciative comments followed the selection of items drawn from our Wellington concert. Especially engeging was the solemn Weep my Eyes played on low instruments.