Call of the Huia: 100 early New Zealand Art Songs
Warwick Braithwaite (1896 – 1971) was born in Dunedin, one of the youngest children of a large family. His father was a bookseller and one time mayor of the city.
Conductor Warwick Braithwaite, c.1944 Photo: Howard Coster, Ref NPG x21194
Braithwaite left for England in 1916 to study music. He became an international conductor and in the 1930s he was appointed as the first conductor of the BBC Welsh Orchestra.
In 1940 he conducted a concert of New Zealand music to celebrate the New Zealand Centenary in London at which Douglas Lilburn’s Aotearoa Overture was premièred. He also gave concerts with Arnold Trowell as soloist.
In 1953, after some toing and froing, he was appointed music director of the New Zealand National Orchestra (now the NZSO). He composed throughout his life, although his song output is small.
Dithyramb is undated but was probably composed during the 1920s. A dithyramb is a Greek poetic form usually performed during the rites of Dionysus.
Recorded 12 February 2021, St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw for RNZ Concert
Engineer: Darryl Stack for RNZ Concert
Video: Chris Watson for SOUNZ
The Call of the Huia research project by music historian Michael Vinten is funded by the Lilburn Trust with support from the Alexander Turnbull Library, the Hocken Library, SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music, RNZ Concert and others. The scores with CDs for Call of the Huia can be purchased in hard copy or as digital download from SOUNZ.
