New Zealand is littered with paper roads — but do these hypothetical highways head to heaven or hell? Trick of the Light theatre traces the perilous path of a staunch lassie who discovers the road that wasn’t there and finds herself somewhere akin to through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. For a change of pace, Chamber Music New Zealand gave us Songs of Travel, a well-balanced programme from the delightful pairing of Kiwi baritone Julien Van Mellaerts and South African pianist James Ballieu. Ballieu’s delicate and sensitive accompaniment allowed Van Mellaerts free range to give expression and personality to songs from Ralph Vaughan Williams and Schubert lieder set to Goethe’s romantic poetry. Following the fluttery dotterel, the galumphing takahe and the lost huia, Farr’s new tui was jaunty and fun — perhaps a reflection of the festival that gave it wings.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 03, 2019 15:33 UTC