Edward Elgar is considered a quintessentially English composer. For Dame Kiri, the music provides a connection to her early years as a performer, including her star-making turn in The Marriage of Figaro in Covent Garden in 1971.
Photo: Supplied / Black Label NZ
Dame Kiri's career took her all over the world but England was the scene of many of her greatest triumphs, including singing at a Royal Wedding for a television audience of six hundred million people.
“Elgar’s music brings back the lovely memories and the nostalgia that I feel for Great Britain. I feel in some ways disloyal, because you shouldn't be feeling homesick for a country that is not yours. Yet, they opened their hearts to me and gave me the most amazing life there!”
As well as sparking memories, Dame Kiri describes how the experience of listening to Elgar “makes me feel happy and makes me feel very sad.”
Playing Elgar’s “Nimrod” can be an emotional experience too. Brigid O'Meeghan describes it like this: “It is an incredibly moving piece. It has extraordinary shape and dynamic range and I think for everybody who has a beating heart it conveys deep emotions and sentiment every time it's played.”
NZSO cellist Brigid O'Meeghan. Photo: Stephen A'Court
It's also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts or any good podcast app.
Crescendo is voiced by RNZ Concert’s Clarissa Dunn with sound mix by Marc Chesterman. It was written and produced by Noelle McCarthy from an original concept by Bird of Paradise.
Photo: Bird Of Paradise Productions
