Blowing in the wind with Spitfires Quintet

A length of hosepipe, a funnel, some empty bottles and a waving rubber glove were all part of the

teaching aids used by the Spitfires wind quintet during their recent visit to Wairarapa schools.

As part of this year’s Martinborough Music Festival’s outreach and education programme, the

quintet visited Martinborough Primary School, Kurunui College and Wairarapa College, playing to around 300 students.

Rebecca Steel (flute), Calvin Scott (oboe), Vivien Reid (French horn), Moira Hurst (clarinet) and Tessa Frazer (bassoon) encouraged enthusiastic participation from students, who experimented getting some interesting sounds from the various household implements used to demonstrate the mechanics of wind instruments.

In late September, a far more complex woodwind performance will be presented as part of the

Festival itself when Australian clarinettist David Griffiths joins eight other world-class musicians in

four concerts at Martinborough Town Hall. David is particularly looking forward to playing

Alchymia (2021) by major contemporary British composer Thomas Adès, described by reviewers in

The Guardian as one of the best chamber music compositions of our time and “a 20-minute chamber work with the scope of a symphony.”

Violinists Wilma Smith and Donald Armstrong, the Festival’s Artistic Directors, will be joined by Harry Bennetts, whose spectacular performances will be remembered from 2022’s Festival. Viola players Gillian Ansell, from the New Zealand String Quartet, and Australian Christopher Moore have also both been welcome performers at previous Festivals.

Two Finnish musicians—cellist Timo-Veikko Valve and pianist Paavali Jumppanen—will be joined by cellist Svetlana Bogosavljevic, originally from Yugoslavia. All are now based in Australia.

The four concerts over the weekend of 27-29 September include audience favourites such as

Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’ sonata, Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor and Mozart’s Trio for

clarinet, viola and piano, along with works by Finnish composers Jean Sibelius and Jaakko Kuusisto, who is one of Finland’s most versatile and recorded musicians.

All concerts take place in the Martinborough Town Hall, with two matinees (Saturday 28 and

Sunday 29 September) and two evening concerts (Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September).  

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday nights have nearly sold out, but excellent seats are still available for the matinee performances. More information about the performances and artists, and links to ticket sales are available from www.martinboroughmusicfestival.co.nz 

Caption: Spitfires wind quintet perform at Martinborough School