This concert celebrates the rich relationship between the University of Canterbury and the wider Christchurch community, and in particular our relationship with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. You’ll hear music that evokes our unique cityscape in sound, favourite songs from our shared journey as a city, and new pieces which showcase composers and performers working in our midst in the university community.  

John Ritchie’s Papanui Rd Overture is one of the most iconic sonic portrayals of Christchurch’s city life. Ritchie—Head of Music at UC from 1916 to 1981—fondly recalls his connection to the area. The sights, sounds, and atmosphere of one of Christchurch’s best-known streets come alive in the orchestral portrayal. 

Soul and pop singer, LA Mitchell, one of Christchurch’s real treasures (and also a tutor in songwriting and contemporary voice at UC), will perform four of her best-known songs featuring arrangements by UC alumnus, Alex van den Broek.

Rakuto Kurano’s Concerto Grosso and Reuben de Lautour and Mahina-Ina Kingi-Kaui’s Te Reo Ki Ōtākaro | Voices of Ōtākaro both draw on the past and look to the future. Kurano, a recent Masters graduate from UC, blends the sound-world of the Italian baroque with contemporary aesthetic, producing a dazzling fusion of old and new. Te Reo Ki Ōtākaro | Voices of Ōtākaro portrays a series of snapshots from significant moments in the history, the present, and the future of Christchurch, with texts drawn from the work of writers connected to each moment and bringing together vocal soloists from the world of jazz, opera, and Māori performing arts.

And looking towards the future of music in a multi-cultural, future-facing Christchurch, Justin DeHart will premiere a new percussion work by Gareth Farr, combining orchestral percussion, Balinese gamelan, and electronics.