Percussion duo debut unusual Kiwi works

MEDIA RELEASE:
Percussion duo début unusual Kiwi works

For immediate release / 20 September 2005 / 257 words

Marimba and vibraphone duo Double Lateral will début two New Zealand works by composers Gareth Farr and John Psathas in October.

Double Lateral‘s marimba player Jeremy Fitzsimons commissioned John Psathas to compose a piece for vibraphone and marimba. Psathas’s composition is named Ukiyo, after the Bhuddist term for the fleeting nature of life. Zen monks and haiku poets used the term to denote a ‘floating world’ (ukiyo), or a dream that vanishes. The piece requires Double Lateral to perform with a CD recorded backing track. Ukiyo was commissioned by Jeremy Fitzsimons with funding from Creative New Zealand and Chamber Music New Zealand.

Double Lateral will also début a new CMNZ commission by composer Gareth Farr. Gareth’s piece, titled Dialogue for marimba and vibraphone. Gareth’s piece employs Balinese interlocking techniques and explores the ability of Double Lateral’s percussion instruments to blend into one whilst highlighting the unique differences between the two.

Gareth’s piece was commissioned by Jeremy Fitzsimons in 2004 with funding from Chamber Music New Zealand and is Gareth’s first ever work for two mallet percussion instruments.

Jeremy met vibraphone player Kristie Ibrahim while the pair were practising their ‘double laterals’, so the name seemed apt! The term double lateral refers to a type of stroke used when playing with four mallets (the tool used to hit the marimba and vibraphone), which results in two consecutive notes sounding from the one stroke.

Most of the repertoire for the combination of marimba and vibraphone comes from jazz. This will be Jeremy’s and Kristie’s first tour as Double Lateral.

ENDS

DOUBLE LATERAL IN CONCERT

WELLINGTON
Sunday 2 October
Ilott Concert Chamber @ 3pm
Presented by the Wellington Chamber Music Society

WAIKANAE
Sunday 9 October
Waikanae Memorial Hall @ 2.30pm
Presented by the Waikanae Music Society

WANGANUI
Wednesday 12 October
St Paul's Church, Guyton St @ 7pm
Presented by Chamber Music Wanganui

KERIKERI
Tuesday 13 October
The Centre @ 8pm
Presented by Kerikeri Arts Inc

TE AWAMUTU
Friday 14 October
7.30pm
Methodist Church, Bank Street
Presented by the Te Awamutu Music Federation

WHAKATANE
Saturday 15 October
Whakatane Little Theatre @ 7.30pm
Presented by the Whakatane Music Society

TAURANGA
Sunday 16 October
Mills Reef @ 7.30pm
Presented by Tauranga Musica

MOTUEKA
Tuesday 25 October
Chanel Arts Centre @ 7.30pm
Presented by the Motueka Music Group

NEW PLYMOUTH
Saturday 29 October
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Queen Street @ 8pm
Sunday 30 October
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Queen Street @ 6pm
New Plymouth concerts presented by Chamber Music New Zealand

ABOUT DOUBLE LATERAL

Jeremy (marimba) and Kristie (vibraphone) met at a marimba seminar in 1997 and have played together in New Zealand and abroad ever since. Most recently, they have performed with New Zealand’s foremost percussion ensemble, Strike.

Jeremy has toured for Chamber Music New Zealand, in a duo with flautist Bridget Douglas and as part of Tango Virtuosi. He has recorded for the Morrison Music Trust label and recently released a CD of John Psathas's works, "Fragments". He is currently working with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, performing with art-rock group Verona, pursuing various chamber and solo projects and enjoying dancing Argentinian tango in his spare time!

Kristie has performed as a guest artist with Halifax-based Blue Engine Music, the Scotia Festival of Music and has played on recordings with The Heavy Blinkers, Verona, Mere Boynton, the NZSO and the NZSO Chamber Orchestra. Her orchestral experience also includes work with Symphony Nova Scotia, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Auckland Philharmonia, and the Wellington Sinfonia.

For more information: http://chambermusic.co.nz/artists/91.php

PROGRAMME

Gareth Farr Theme from ‘Duggan’
JS Bach Prelude and Fugue No 10
Astor Piazzolla Café 1930 (arr.)
Astor Piazzolla Nightclub 1960 (arr.)
David Friedman Air Sculpture (solo)
Gareth Farr Dialogue for marimba and vibraphone (New commission)
David Friedman Lunch with Pancho Villa
Various, arr. Fitzsimons Tango suite
John Psathas Fragment (arr.)
Mark Duggan Myotokugi (solo)
John Psathas Ukiyo (New commission)

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