Myrrh takes the SOUNZ Award

The winner of the SOUNZ Award for the Composition section of the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is David Taylor from Macleans College in Auckland. His piece Myrrh, written for flute, clarinet, bassoon & piano, was selected for the award by this year's adjudicator, composer and commentator, James Gardner. James tells us that he was particularly taken with the formal design and imaginative scoring of the piece. "It was remarkably assured for a young composer.," he said. "I also enjoyed the bold and lively rhythms and the calculated risks that David took in his instrumental writing."

Myrrh will be performed and David presented with his award during the National Finale concert in Auckland on Saturday, 9 August. In this concert, eight chamber groups from around the country will vie for the winner's award in the performance section of the CMNZ-managed competition , now in its 43rd year. This year a good number of groups performed using New Zealand music, including one commissioned from a composer who has previously won this SOUNZ Award twice - you can find out more here.