Pepe Becker: news & current projects

13 April 2009

Three pieces of news to report of late:

Firstly, my chamber choir composition Hoquetus Sanctus, composed for Baroque Voices with funding from Creative NZ in 2008, has been selected (along with one other NZ work, also composed for BV, by Carol Shortis) to be performed at the ISCM World Music Days contemporary music festival in Sweden in September 2009! This is a great honour for me, and also a great opportunity for Carol and myself to promote our music and NZ music in general, as we will both be attending the festival. As it happens, the dates for this festival coincide with my son's Wellington High School trip to Italy, so I will take the opportunity to visit some famous Early Music venues there and in surrounding European countries, attending as many other concerts as I can whilst in Europe.

Secondly, Creative NZ has again funded a commissioned work which I have written for Baroque Voices, O ignis spiritus, to be performed by BV in our Alleluia: a newë work! concerts in May this year.

Thirdly, there's a new Renaissance group in town, Chanterelle, consisting of myself as soprano, lutenists Don King and Stephen Pickett, with viol player Robert Oliver. We have had our first airing at the Elizabethan Dance Party, "The Queen's Revels" last month, and will be performing our first official concert, entitled The Food of Love at St Andrew's on the Terrace on 22 April 2009. Watch this space for more news about this exciting new group: it is a rare treat in NZ to hear not only one, but two, lutes - and, combined with the viol and voice, it is a beautiful sound not to be missed!

12 February 2007

I spent the month of January (28th Dec 2006 until 25th Jan 2007) overseas, in the UK and Europe. During that time I performed twice: at a solemn mass service at Westminster Cathedral on 31st December; and in a Realm of Music Baroque concert (called "Bach at the Manor") at Rothamsted Manor house in Harpenden, north of London, on 24th January.

In between, I had a singing lesson with Emma Kirkby; visited my old singing teacher Jessica Cash; visited musician friends in London, Oxford, Ilkley, Den Haag and Köln; travelled also to Scotland and France; attended concerts in Europe; visited various ancient buildings, including Cathedrales de Nôtre Dame in Paris and Reims, and le Château de Versailles; and made several new musical acquaintances, including James Akers, a highly acclaimed lutenist with whom I hope to do concerts in the future, in London and other parts of the UK.

The trip was thoroughly worthwhile, both professionally and personally, and I have returned to New Zealand refreshed and full of new ideas for future performance projects, involving Early Music and/or Contemporary Music, both here and abroad.

Pepe Becker at Bolton Abbey Priory, Yorkshire, 9 January 2007