Goldenhorse with the Auckland Philharmonia at the Aotea Centre

Reviewed by WILLIAM DART

Many see the quintet Goldenhorse as the golden hope of New Zealand rock music, a group which, in keeping with the market-driven aspirations of our age, can bridge the gap between the alternative set and the so-called adult contemporary.

They were certainly an inspired choice to headline the first concert of Auckland Philharmonia's Telecom Pops series.

Although Goldenhorse introduced themselves with a breezy solo set, the orchestral collaboration was the main point of the venture, an opportunity to reveal Geoff Maddock's new and skilful arrangements.

Miscalculations were minor. The song American Wife took its opening verse to gel, Northern Lights got weighed down by its orchestral garb and the punchy brass riffs in Baby's Been Bad, though exciting, detracted from the feline charm of the original.

On the other hand, what a thrill it was to hear and see those strings soaring in Maybe Tomorrow and Spice Islands.

Breathy flute was perfect for opening Riverhead, one of the group's more sinister numbers.

Dark Forest, a weaker song, was lifted by a searing guitar solo from Maddock - who occasionally turned his back on the audience to play along with the violin section.

The audience and orchestra lapped it all up, as did conductor Marc Taddei, who was almost bopping to the cross-rhythms of Emptied Out.

Singer Kirsten Morelle is unfailingly inventive - just when you think she's in danger of doing a Celine Dion, there's a phrase that's more Timi Yuro.

Her theatrical gestures might suggest Bassey, but her voice is more Kate Bush or Piaf.

These musicians have quite a line in self-deprecation (nerdy and studious was one self-description from the stage) but the philharmonia's regular patrons might well be stunned by their snappy ensemble. This was nowhere more so than when bass player Vincent Hine, imbibing from both water bottle and hip-flask, shot rhythms from the hip at drummer Ben Collier.

Maddock and Morelle fronted the orchestra for the first encore, introduced as a cowgirl song, but in fact a fragile ballad of love and violence.

It was a Lied in all but name, with rapturous orchestration, cor anglais and all, alongside fluttering Maddock guitar.

This is an area these musicians would well explore more deeply.