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Douglas Lilburn: Salutes to Seven Poets - AUDIO
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About
This Auckland Libraries Podcast features Yid-Ee Goh (violin) and Lisa Chou (piano), with introduction and narration by Marilyn Portman (Senior Librarian Music, Auckland Libraries). The performance took place on 18th April 2019 as part of the Thursday Heritage Concert Autumn Series.
The poet Allen Curnow requested this work from Lilburn in 1952 for a poetry reading at Auckland University College. The event took place on the evening of 9 August that year, and involved a substantial amount of poetry (twenty-two poems in total) read by the poets involved.
Lilburn's music was premiered by Antonia Braidwood (violin) and Donald Bowick (piano). One movement was supposed to precede each reading, providing the audience with the composer's musical impressions of the work and personality of each poet.
In the event, however, the order was reversed, which led to some confusion for the audience and some displeasure for the composer. At the second performance of this work some time later, Lilburn determined that he would write a narration to go along with the music in lieu of the twenty-two poems.
I. Salute to A.R.D. Fairburn
II. Salute to Keith Sinclair
III. Salute to Allen Curnow
IV. Salute to M.K.Joseph
V. Salute to James K. Baxter
VI. Salute to Kendrick Smithyman (Not performed in this concert)
VII. Salute to R.A.K.Mason
VIII. Epilogue
The musical copyright of Douglas Lilburn is held by the Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust, for the benefit of the Lilburn Trust. It is administered by Songbroker Music Publishing.