A reasonable-sized Sunday afternoon audience turned out yesterday for a recital in the Dunedin Town Hall entitled "Pipes and Reeds" by organist Jeremy Woodside and saxophonist Lana Law (both from Christchurch).
It is always great to hear Norma the Town Hall organ, and first-time audience members are often heard to comment they had no idea of the power and variety of settings and music which she can emit. However, yesterday she was more in duet mode, and a little more subdued than when in solo extravaganza mode.
The 90-minute programme began with Sonata No 1 by Denis Bedard, a three-movement work which featured melody making for the Invention and mainly solo and accompaniment for the Barcarolle and Humoresque.
Hestia, a laid-back jazz sonatina with lyrical themes and touches of dissonance by Chris Adams, followed.
A short work for alto sax by David Hamilton, Shifting Sands, and Sinfonia by Bach demonstrated excellent saxophone legato delivery.
Gerauchsvoll (1994) by Dunedin’s Tecwyn Evans was rather more garish and somewhat intrusive in character and was followed by Dawning Light Glistens Sea by John Rimmer, inspired by walking by the sea at sunrise.
Three Miniatures by Chris Mortlock were very contemporary in style and Apres un Reve (Faure), a very short tenor sax piece, lacked "reed" prominence.
I also felt the Duke Ellington Come Sunday arrangement by Barry Brinson lacked accent and rhythmic projection associated with jazz.
Woodside’s own composition, Pigeon, completed the recital, but the instrumental balance was disappointing.
Law delivers from the saxophone with clean clear legato tone, immaculate clarity and precision from a stance with arms that stay positioned throughout, no body language but a constant shifting of leg weight from side to side.
Often the beauty of the lower register was lost and I kept wanting her to come forward from her position just below the organ.
Nevertheless, an enjoyable, unique recital from Norma and her solo companion.
Review by Elizabeth Bouman
