The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

players from the National Orchestra 66 at a concert organised
in Wellington by the New Zealand Section of the International Society
for Contemporary Music.
bassoon, the three-movement work presents:
Scored for flute, oboe, clarinet,horn and
" ••• patterns of sound derived from opening
phrases, each player giving an individual view
of the same few notes. It was given impetus by
Lilburn viewing a Gauguin Tahitian painting of
a coastline scene, which included a tangle of
driftwood suggesting musical patterns."67
The work shows evidence of Lilburn's continued interest in the music of
the serialist composers.
Quartet for Brass Instruments remained unperformed for 23 years
until Thursday 18 September 1980, when it was featured in a lunchtime
concert organised by the Victoria University of Welling-ton Music
Department.
68
The programme to that concert contained the following note
about the work:
"This work was one of several written in the
late fifties, marking a change in style that
culminated in the Third Symphony - concerned
with counterpoint of an increasing austerity.
It is based on a chorale theme which is fully
set out only in the last movement. This theme
is heralded in the opening prelude and is the
understructure of later movements. The work
is in five movements, making an arch form,
with an exuberant allegro at the centre.
This quartet is now receiving its first
performance from students of the Music
Department. At the time of composition it was
rejected out of hand by professional players
of the old Symphony Orchestra."69
I 15
In 1958, Lilburn wrote more music for strings and narrator along
the lines of the Cornet Rilke of 1950.
premiered the work -
Again, it was Maria Dronke who
entitled Three Poems of the Sea and comprising the
poems Sir Patrick Spens, Come unto these yellow sands, and The Changeling
(this last poem by Allen Curnow).
This work was first presented in a concert by the Alex Lindsay
66 The players were James Hopkinson flute, Norman Booth oboe, Frank Gurr
clarinet, Peter Glen horn and Peter Musson bassoon.
67 Announcer's introduction to an undated broadcast of Wind Quintet on
Radio New Zealand. Unpublished typescript, photocopy with author.
68 The performers in this premiere were Mary Robbie and David Armstrong
trumpets, David Cox horn, David Woodbridge trombone.
69 Programme to concert.