To demonstrate the ethos and value of this programme for primary school children from Taita and Pomare, I quote in full the note on the printed programme from the concert: "[This] is part of a visionary global movement transforming the lives of children through music. "Right here in the Hutt Valley, we are building a youth orchestra in a neighborhood where children normally do not have access to private music lessons... read more

The end-of-year exposure of five of the most talented piano students at the New Zealand School of Music was, I suppose, a follow-on from the four-day series of student recitals between 5 and 8 October which had featured cellos, violas, voices and guitars. The five pianists were placed according to their academic level, but I could not have distinguished them merely on the basis of the standard of their performances... read more