New Zealand guitarist Bruce Paine has just released a new album of his own solo compositions, ...still we sang.
He came into the RNZ Auckland studio to talk with David Morriss and perform music from this and an earlier album.
Bruce Paine Photo: Angela Scott
The pieces on the album were written between 2019 and early 2023, and include three suites. One of these - 'When it was quiet, still we sang' - found its inspiration during a Covid-19 lockdown in late 2021 when the sound of birdsong became much more noticeable.
Paine made recordings of tui and other birds he heard in his backyard, and used these melodies as a starting point for the movements of the suite.
The album is dedicated to the memory of his mother, Frances Rosalind Paine, and the cover and accompanying booklet include a selection of her artwork.
Karekare, by Frances Rosalind Paine Photo: Supplied Bruce Paine
Floral garden, by Frances Rosalind Paine Photo: Supplied Bruce Paine
Music in the interview:
Paine, Bruce: Cascade, from West Coast Suite - Bruce Paine (guitar) (RNZ 2024)
Paine, Bruce: Seringapatam, from Alberton - Bruce Paine (guitar) (RNZ 2024)
