Five Lines is a collection of writings about music in Aotearoa New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. It features short articles, artist profiles and reviews of concerts, operas and albums. You can subscribe - it’s free - at the bottom of any story.
Beneath the trees: voices of women of Aotearoa
Beneath the trees: 21x21 is a new album of songs by 21 women composers of Aotearoa, setting words by our female poets. It’s an invaluable addition to the canon of New Zealand song.
NZ String Quartet: Unique counterpoints of Aotearoa
In their new album Notes from a journey ll, Te Haerenga, the New Zealand String Quartet continues its journey through the music of Aotearoa.
Force of Nature: Forest & Bird’s clarion call
A musical project celebrating the centenary of Forest & Bird brings nine new compositions to life and sounds a clarion call about conservation of Aotearoa’s native habitats and species.
The Earth Child: A Mansfield centenary tribute album
Composer Janet Jennings has curated a brilliant album as tribute to Katherine Mansfield, marking the centenary of the writer’s death and including her own setting of Mansfield’s Earth Child poems.
Soprano Morag Atchison’s debut album: The Distance
Morag Atchison’s debut album features the songs of composer David Hamilton in a beautifully performed recital.
Jenny McLeod at 80: “to me I’m always me…”
Composer Jenny McLeod died on 28 November 2022. In a birthday tribute in 2021 I wrote about the life and work of this brilliant and mercurial composer.
Sweet indulgence
A new CD of Romantic song transcriptions, Morgen shares the pleasures of beautiful and emotional music. Performed by Andrew Joyce, cello and Rae de Lisle, piano.