The Sinfonia's devotion to an already valued local genre produced a seminal achievement.
Graeme Downes' orchestration produced an exceptional almost uniform embellishment of the songs' various sentiments.
Phillipps' fragile love song Submarine Bells, the tangled rush of Look Blue go Purple's I Don't Want You Anyway , the bluesy by-lines Straitjacket Fits' Down in Splendour, the Weill-like grunge of Clarkson's Man With No Desire and the polyphonic layering of Brough's interpretation of James K. Baxter's Andy Dandy were spine-chilling.
The Kilgours' instrumental work At the Bottom became staggeringly meaty, energetic and rhythmically and thematically intricate.
Only two songs failed somewhat. The lushness of the orchestral treatment suffocated the lyrics in Downes' overly precious and grumpy Pets and those of the difficult Pink Frost mismatched Anna Leese's dramatic depiction.
In most songs, the lyrics poetically mine human foibles which are wonderful material for emotionally charged performances. Molly Devine gave a strongly expansive exploration of Carter and Jefferies' Randolph's Going Home. Metitilani Alo' sweet voice perfectly matched Leese's mellow range in Downes' beautiful Dirge. Lani's solo performance of Saunders' Outer Space was compelling.
Kylie Price does not yet have the power to swamp an orchestra but remains a valuable member of the line-up.
Leese's wonderful understanding of the art song genre raised Clarkson's Man With No Desire and Downes' For the Love of Ash Grey into the stratosphere.
This significant event should resonate for many moons.
Tally Ho!
Dunedin Sound Songs and
Singers, Southern Sinfonia Saturday, February 28
Review by Marian Poole
