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Photo: Maggie Tweedie
Calefax, the pioneering 'reed quintet', celebrated the beginning of its tour of Aotearoa with a visit to RNZ's Auckland studio.
The Netherlands-based quintet comprises Oliver Boekhoorn (oboe), Bart De Kater (clarinet), Raaf Hekkema (saxophone), Jelte Althuis (bass clarinet) and Alban Wesly (bassoon).
The group told RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump that when they started out 35 years ago, they were the first reed players to form a quintet.
The players make their sound by blowing through a 'reed' - a piece of cane which vibrates, much like a human voice box.
Flute players blow across a hole in a tube, while brass players create sound by blowing 'raspberries' into a mouthpiece.
Crump wanted to know - given the group makes such a beautiful sound (which you can hear in the audio above) - why reed quintets are a recent invention.
It's basically down to the saxophone, which despite being invented in the 19th century, still struggles to be accepted in the classical music world.
But as far as the Calefax boys are concerned, you can't have a good reed quintet without good sax.
For RNZ Concert, the group performed excerpts of pieces by Debussy, Gershwin, and New Zealander Rosie Langabeer. You can hear the full versions at one of their concerts in the nine-gig Aotearoa tour organised by Chamber Music NZ.
