The Star: June 15, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday June 15 2017 25
writing about his love for music
I’ve actually hardly ever been
overseas. The life of a composer
is not well remunerated, so it’s
not something I could afford to
do.
That’s a real shame.
I think it’s very sad, although
I’m biased of course. But the
reality is the royalty I get for a
piece performed at a concert
wouldn’t be sufficient to buy a
programme, let alone fly across
the world.
But actually, what excites me
the most is having my pieces
performed in front of my own
audiences, my own people here.
It’s nice to say something you
wrote has been performed in
Timbuktu, but it’s more special
to have people you love watching
it. It gives me great pride to see
someone take the time to learn
and put their heart and soul into
performing my work, it doesn’t
matter if it’s one person or 100.
What was the first instrument
you learned?
I learned the cello when I was
eight or nine, so it was taller than
I was. My mother was a music
teacher, and a great source of
inspiration and help. But what
really lit my fire was Gilbert and
Sullivan musicals at school. My
friends and I used to write comic
ICONIC: The Adamstown Theatre in Australia performing the
Footrot Flats musical, one of the most successful shows Philip
Norman has written music for.
operettas during our school
holidays – I’m not sure if that’s a
normal pastime? But one of the
first we performed at school was
all about the women’s liberation
meetings at Parliament. I still remember
the opening line: Burn
the bra, burn the bra! That was
very risqué then, so we loved it.
After school, did your family
ever tell you to get a real job?
My father often used that
line. He was a headmaster, so
that made for an interesting
childhood. But my father also
always had a creative streak,
so he had admiration for the
fact I was using my creativity. I
was determined, even at 18, to
make a career out of music. So
at university I wrote, again with
friends, a series of musicals.
One had a wonderful title, Stiff
Luck to the Undertaker, and it
went quite well. It was difficult at
times. I was privileged to be part
of the team writing the Footrot
Flats musical and, after the hours
of work spent on it, I said if I
couldn’t get a decent return, I
would give it up. But fortunately
it did well.
Have you ever had to turn to
other work, to pay the bills?
Actually no, I haven’t had to
do the traditional things like
flip burgers at McDonald’s, so I
count myself enormously privileged.
I haven’t really ever undertaken
something just because I
have needed the money, either –
I have always been interested in
it. But perhaps that’s also because
I have wide interests.
What are some reviews of
your work that have stood out
to you over the years?
You mean times I’ve been
roasted? There have been
many. One I really rather relish
was from one of the London
critics, who are known for their
savagery. One said I should be
noted for writing one of the
world’s first tune-free musicals.
I didn’t appreciate it at the time,
but I do rather appreciate that
now.
You’ve also earned many
honours and accolades for your
work. Which has meant the
most to you?
Receiving the Companion of
the New Zealand Order of Merit.
That was something really quite
special.
Outside your work, what are
some of your pet passions?
Well, pets actually. My current
delight is a pet rabbit by
the name of Harvey. Harvey
Norman. There’s something
about this rabbit, he’s been a real
joy. My children are also a real
source of joy. It’s incredibly interesting
seeing them develop into
skilled and fascinating young
adults.
What are your musical guilty
pleasures?
I’m of the belief there are no
musical guilty pleasures. Whatever
you enjoy is worth listening
to. I admit I get very moved by
the sound of bagpipes, and jazz
has been something I’ve loved for
years. So I do have eclectic tastes.
So you would listen to a rap
song every now and then?
I’m full of admiration for some
rap, actually. This is the street
poetry of now, and the voice of
youth. I predict before too long
there will be university studies of
rap, there probably already are.
With all styles of music, there
are bad examples and well done
examples. With rap some of the
worst is terrible, but in the best
there is a lot to admire.
June 2017
Community digs in to help improve local environment
Christchurch West Melton Zone Committee
By Arapata Rueben, Zone Committee Chair
A big thank you
to those of you in
Christchurch who
showed up last
month to help
clean up some
of our wonderful
Christchurch
waterways.
Over 750 people participated in the
“Mother of all Clean Ups 2017” and nearly
9 tonnes of rubbish was collected from
the 156 kilometres of river bank bordering
the Avon and Heathcote Rivers, Kerrs
Reach and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary.
The largest culprit in the rubbish stakes
was plastic, with hundreds of carrier
bags, food wrappers, straws and bottles
being pulled from the rivers. The good
news was that less rubbish was collected
this year than in 2016. I like to think that
this is because the clean ups are making
a difference and that they are also making
people stop and think about how they
dispose of their rubbish and the impact
that dropping litter on the ground has
on the environment.
At the meeting last month of the
Christchurch West Melton Zone
Committee the Avon Otakaro Network
gave an update on plans for the 12
kilometre City to Sea river trail which
will open in stages from Spring this year.
The trail is expected to be completed in
early 2018 and you will be able walk, run
or cycle from Barbadoes Street to Pages
Road in New Brighton. For now though,
residents are able to use sections of the
trail as they are completed, so make the
most of this new facility and get out and
enjoy our river.
Work is continuing to undertake plantings
on the Port Hills to help with sediment
control and an aerial seeding programme
has been completed in some areas. The
Port Hills Volunteer planting days are
continuing throughout June so if you are
keen to be involved, the meeting place is
Princess Margaret Hospital on Saturday
June 17, Thursday June 22 and Saturday
June 24 from 12.15 – 4.00pm. Volunteer
spaces are limited so you do need to
register. Many thanks to Environment
Canterbury for providing transport for
volunteers from the hospital up to the
hill. For any queries about the volunteer
days, please contact Ranger Di Carter,
di.carter@ccc.govt.nz.
Image courtesy of Christchurch City Council
LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER
www.canterburywater.org
And finally, this month Environment
Canterbury has launched an information
campaign, helping people in our cities
and towns to become more informed
about the action being taken across the
region to protect our precious water. This
year, Environment Canterbury is working
closely with farmers as strict new rules
are implemented, rules which limit the
effects of farming on water quality. You
too can ‘look a little deeper’ by visiting
canterburywater.org.nz.