Pink and White - New Zealand Organ Music by Anthony Ritchie, David Farquhar, Douglas Lilburn, Jack Body, etc

PINK AND WHITE - PROGRAMME NOTE :-
This piece was inspired by the famous Pink and White Terraces in New Zealand which were destroyed by the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886. The Pink and White Terraces were huge naturally occuring staircases, created by deposits of silica in crystallised form over many centuries. People came from all over the world to view the terraces, described as the eighth wonder of the world.

According to legend, there was a premonition of the disaster in June, 1886. While travelling across a lake near the terraces, some tourists and their Maori guide saw a mysterious canoe of Maoris nearby. They disappeared and were never seen again, and no reasonable explanation could be given for their existence. However, some local Maori took this 'spirit-canoe' as an omen. They were right. Before dawn the next day, Mt Tarawera erupted for five hours, destoying the Pink and White Terraces and killing 153 people. It was New Zealand's worst volcanic disaster of recorded times.

This organ piece attempts to incorporate elements of the story into its musical gestures. The big opening chords describes the might and force of Mt Tarawera. Then follow two quieter ideas, interrelated, which portray the gently bubbling beauty of the 'White Terrace' and then the 'Pink Terrace'. The eruption is heralded by low thundering trills on the pedals and sweeping upward runs on the keyboard. The main theme that follows is toccato-like and conjures up visions of wild panic among the people. This theme reappears on full organ at the climax, and the music gradually subsides. The Tarawera chords from the beginning return like a solemn chorale for the dead, and the music drifts off into the distance, like smoke from the crater.

Pink and White was commissioned by Martin Setchell with funding from Creative New Zealand, and was composed especially for the new Christchurch Town Hall Rieger organ. The composer is indebted to Martin Setchell for his advice and help with scoring for the organ.

Also included on this wonderful CD is music by other leading New Zealand composers :-
Lilburn, Body, Ritchie, Evans, Farquhar, Mews, and of course Setchell himself.

MARTIN SETCHELL - BIOGRAPHY :-
Concert organist Martin Setchell is Organ Curator of the Christchurch Town Hall in the Christchurch Convention Centre, New Zealand, where he regularly performs on the acclaimed Rieger pipe organ.

He was born in Blackpool, England where he received his early musical education, studied organ at Exeter University and Cathedral, and graduated with Honours degrees in Music and French. Advanced studies in Classical organ technique followed with various teachers including Pierre Cochereau, then titular organist of Notre Dame in Paris, Marie-Claire Alain, Piet Kee, and Peter Hurford.

Martin was awarded both the Limpus and Shinn prizes when he received his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in London. He emigrated to New Zealand on his appointment to the University of Canterbury School of Music where he is Associate Professor of Music and tutor in organ, combining his University teaching and research career with a busy schedule of recitals and concerts as soloist, accompanist and continuo player on organ and harpsichord.

His solo concert tours outside New Zealand have taken him to Australia, America, Europe and the Far East. Some concert highlights include the Spreckels organ in Balboa Park, San Diego, the famous Hill organ in Sydney Town Hall, Australia, Oliwa Cathedral in Poland as part of the Gdansk International Organ Festival, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, China, St Paul 's Cathedral, London and St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh. Concert engagements in 2005 take him to Australia, Canada, USA, England, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

He also fulfils engagements as organist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony, Christchurch City Choir and the Woolston Brass. An active composer and choral conductor, his organ and choral compositions are published by Kevin Mayhew Music in England. He is the founder and first director of Christchurch's chamber choir the Jubilate Singers, Director of the University Chamber Choir, and also a music critic for The Press.