Festival suffers a snag
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Bay Chronicle
Some of New Zealand's top performers and international musicians are ready to take the stage for the 17th Bay of Islands Arts Festival, starting this weekend.
It's all go - except for a snag with one of the international groups.
South Africa's Michael Blake Ensemble has lost its travel funding to New Zealand.
"Its terrible timing," says festival director Sue James.
"We were confident that everything was in place when we finally went to print with the festival brochure."
She says the festival trust is doing whatever it can to secure funding so that the South African ensemble can perform as planned in the finale weekend.
"We know it's always risky bringing international groups in and this year we have programmed four high quality international acts."
They include Alejandro Iglesias Rossi's 16-strong orchestra from Argentina, The Dry Flies from Paris, the Carmen Salvador Quintet from Chile and the Michael Blake Ensemble from South Africa.
The festival this year covers four weekends spread over a month, each with a different theme.
After the opening on anniversary weekend, the festival skips to Valentine's weekend with community entertainment.
A Best of Kiwi weekend follows and the finale 35° South weekend, featuring the South African group, completes the festival at the end of February.
The 35° South concept came from Wellington composer Jack Body who has family links in Kerikeri, says Ms James.
"He's put together an international tour of performers across the latitude 35° South including the Orchestra of Indigenous Instruments and New Technologies from Argentina, The NZ Trio and the Michael Blake Ensemble from South Africa.
Kerikeri is the location for the 35° premiere, featuring a mix of classical and indigenous music.
Mantombi Matotiyana, from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, is one of the last surviving players of the uhadi, a traditional one-string bow.
"It would be a great pity to lose the South African component after so much work has been done to join the distinctive music of the three continents here, in the Far North of New Zealand," she says.
"We have managed to reduce the group down to four to make the target possible while still maintaining the integrity of the programme. We will hold out hope until the last possible moment and would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to contribute in any way."
Contact Sue on 027-601-5054.
- Festival details www.boiartsfestival.co.nz.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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