Ensemble Philharmonia at various venues

By WILLIAM DART

The annual Ensemble Philharmonia series has become something to look forward to - four concerts in which Auckland Philharmonia members, in various combinations, play chamber music to audiences across the city, from Titirangi to Pukekohe.

The theme, if not the song, remains the same - something old, something new and something New Zealand - and the trombone boys of BonaNZa launched the series a month ago with Bach, funky trombone 'n' rhythm from American jazzman John Clark and a fairly pedestrian Neil Finn arrangement.

The second concert saw the first real New Zealand offering in Daniel Stabler's Sextet. Cor anglais player Madeline Rackham and the string ensemble well conveyed the polish and sheen of a well-crafted score, even if the sonic effects of the first movement seemed a little contrived alongside the later witty dances.

Completing the programme, the quartet, led in turns by Sarah Hart and William Hanfling, was lusciously in tune with Rachmaninov and gave us a rougher ride in Beethoven's Op 18 no 5.

Week three occasioned an expedition to Pakuranga's te tuhi - the mark, with a selection of music that didn't even consider taking prisoners.

The closest to friendly lunchtime fare was Miranda Adams and William Hanfling, brilliant in four earthy Bartok Duos.

Other highlights included a luminescent Archangel by the American Charles Wuorinen, featuring the smooth bass trombone of Tim Sutton and a Chris Cree Brown Duo for violin and cello (Adams with Katherine Hebley) that blended Vivaldian jolts and other-worldly wailings.

The key work of the concert (and the series) was John Rimmer's new Kakapo Reborn. This called for low-pitched instruments (with dark, swooping solos from Andrew Uren on bass clarinet) and delivered some zesty textures, especially in the Allegro sections.

Sitting close to the musicians during a Dvorak Quintet in the final concert was special, although ragged intonation took its toll over 30 minutes. The string-players were at their best in the New Zealand scores - the slow movement of a Nigel Keay Quartet and the extrovert lyricism of Jonathan Besser's Golden Quartet.