This suggested repertoire list aims to give people a starting point to discovering New Zealand orchestral music that they might enjoy hearing, performing or studying.
This selection of suggested repertoire contains works suitable for Full Orchestra, Full Orchestra with soloist/s, Chamber and String Orchestra – at both professional and community level.
There is also a selection of works by Douglas Lilburn who has been described as “the elder statesman of New Zealand music” and the “grandfather of New Zealand music”.
Please contact us with any hire set requests, or other questions you may have!
Full Orchestra - suitable for professional orchestras
Alex Taylor: feel (18')
Andrew Perkins: Waltz-Fantasia (9')
Anthony Ritchie: A Bugle Will Do (9')
Anthony Ritchie: Diary of a Madman (8')
Anthony Ritchie: Symphony No. 3 (30')
Anthony Ritchie: Symphony No. 4 (45')
Celeste Oram: macropsia (6')
Chris Adams: Anastasis (20')
Chris Watson: Pivotal Orbits (13')
Claire Cowan: legend of the trojan bird (8')
David Farquhar: A Short Suite from "Ring Round the Moon" (15')
David Farquhar: Harlequin Overture (7')
Dorothy Ker: a gentle infinity (6')
Dorothy Ker: The Third Dream (10')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: Len Dances (6')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: Other Echoes (6')
Gillian Whitehead: Resurgences (14')
Gillian Whitehead: the improbable ordered dance (18')
Jenny McLeod: Three Celebrations for Orchestra (17')
John Charles: Sunrise (3')
John Charles: Utu (14')
John Elmsly: Fantasia - Wild Rhymes of Spring (13')
John Elmsly: Intoit (6')
John Elmsly: Metamorphosis (6')
John Elmsly: Of Secrets, Echoes… (10')
John Rimmer: Lahar (7')
John Rimmer: Vulcan (4')
John Ritchie: Papanui Road (12')
Jonathan Besser: The 12 (9')
Juliet Palmer: Parted Tongues (10')
Juliet Palmer: Swerve (13')
Karlo Margetic: Bioluminescence (7')
Kenneth Young: Dance (14')
Kenneth Young: Lux Aeterna (16')
Kit Powell: Rothko Variations (16')
Leonie Holmes: Ancient Rhythms (6')
Leonie Holmes: Aquae Sulis (15')
Maria Grenfell: Fanfare for a City (4')
Maria Grenfell: River Mountain Sky (10')
Martin Lodge: Aër (7')
Martin Lodge: Hinterland (11')
Michael Norris: Rays of the Sun, Shards of the Moon (9')
Natalie Hunt: Compass (4'30)
Nigel Keay: Fanfare for Orchestra (3')
Nigel Keay: Movement for Orchestra (11')
Nigel Keay: Symphony in Five Movements (24')
Ray Twomey: The Great Harbour of Tara (14')
Reuben Jelleyman: Solar Wind (5')
Robbie Ellis: Feral (5'30)
Ross Harris Symphonies (various)
Ross Harris: As though there were no God (18')
Ross Harris: Cento (11')
Ross Harris: The Hills of Time (12')
Ryan Youens: Rakaia (5'30)
Salina Fisher: Blushing Skies (5')
Samuel Holloway: Fault (6')
Samuel Holloway: Hauptstimme (4')
Sarah Ballard: Synergos (13'30)
Stephan Prock: Garden Varieties: Four Dance Vignettes (14')
Yvette Audain: Mangatangi (4')
Full Orchestra - suitable for community-level orchestras
Anthony Ritchie: Gouache (10')
Anthony Ritchie: Remember Parihaka (9')
Claire Cowan: Here at this quiet limit of the world (10')
Chris Adams: Fonterra's Mad(rigal) (10')
David Hamilton: Caveat Emptor (9')
David Hamilton: Elysian Fields (13')
Gillian Whitehead: Central Landscapes (10')
Kenneth Young: Douce Tristesse (10')
Leonie Holmes: For Young Nick (5'30)
Louise Webster: Landscape Songs (10')
Louise Webster: Learning to Nudge the Wind (11')
Louise Webster: Proof Against Burning (11'30)
Michael Vinten: Sinfonietta (14')
Ray Twomey: Marlborough Overture (8')
Robbie Ellis: General Intransigence (6')
Full Orchestra with soloist/s - suitable for professional orchestras
Andrew Perkins: The Radish and the Shoe - narrator (16')
Anthony Ritchie: Double Concerto for bass clarinet and cello - solo bass clarinet and cello (19')
Anthony Ritchie: Whalesong - solo double bass (10')
Anthony Ritchie: Violin Concerto (23')
Chris Adams: Mahukia - solo organ (11')
Chris Gendall: The Charm Offensive - for soprano (8')
Chris Watson: sing songs self - solo piano (11')
Christopher Blake: Till Human Voices Wake Us - solo tenor (17')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: Peregrinations - solo piano (20')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: Releasing the Angel - solo cello (11')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: These arms to hold you - children's choir (12')
Eve de Castro-Robinson: Triple Clarinet Concerto - solo E flat, B flat & bass clarinets (28')
Gillian Whitehead: Alice - solo mezzo-soprano (36')
Gillian Whitehead: Karohirohi - solo harp (13'30)
Jack Spiers/Gillian Whitehead: Symphony - The Islands - solo baritone (19'30)
Jenny McLeod: Rock Concerto - solo piano (22')
Jenny McLeod: The Emperor and the Nightingale - narrator (23')
John Rimmer: Explorations-Discoveries - solo horn (20')
Karlo Margetic: Xylophone Concerto - solo xylophone (19')
Kenneth Young: Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra - solo euphonium (23')
Kenneth Young: Remembering - solo violin (12')
Kit Powell: Reading Gaol - solo baritone (11')
Lyell Cresswell: The Clock Stops - for solo baritone (35')
Maria Grenfell: Maui tikitiki a Taranga - solo flute (20')
Michael Norris: Heavy Traffic - solo contrabassoon (12')
Michael Norris: Volti - solo piano (11')
Nigel Keay: Viola Concerto - solo viola (24')
Robbie Ellis: Relish in Immature Bombast - solo organ and drum kit (12')
Ross Harris: Labyrinth for Tuba and Orchestra - solo tuba (11')
Ross Harris: The Floating Bride, the Crimson Village - solo soprano (18')
Ross Harris: Violin Concerto - solo violin (23'30)
Stephan Prock: Cages for the Wind - solo soprano (20')
Full Orchestra with soloist - suitable for community-level orchestras
Anthony Ritchie: Flute Concerto - solo flute (17')
Anthony Ritchie: Organ Overture - solo organ (8')
John Ritchie: Concerto for Alto Saxophone - solo alto saxophone (17')
Michael Vinten: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra - solo alto saxophone (25')
Ray Twomey: Harp - The Herald Angels Play! - solo harp (15')
Chamber Orchestra
Anthony Ritchie: Purakaunui (5')
David Farquhar: Ring Round the Moon: Dance Suite (19')
David Farquhar: Three Tudor Dances (6')
Gillian Whitehead: Hoata (19')
Jenny McLeod: Little Symphony (18')
Martin Lodge: Cassation (14')
Chamber Orchestra with soloist
Alex Taylor: Bassoon Concerto (25')
John Ritchie: The Snow Goose - solo flute (7')
Juliet Palmer: Solid Gold - solo soprano (15')
Kenneth Young: Portrait - solo violin (20')
Michael Norris: From the Lonely Margins of the Sea - solo piano (11')
String Orchestra
Alex Taylor: silk / gravel (8')
Anthony Ritchie: Whakatipua (10')
Chris Watson: Aufsatz (12')
Christopher Blake: Angel at Ahipara (11')
Christopher Blake: Anthem on the Kaipara (14')
Christopher Blake: Christ at Whangape (18')
Christopher Blake: Night Journey to Pawarenga (13')
David Farquhar: Echoes and Reflections (14')
David Farquhar: Epithalamion Overture (7')
John Ritchie: Aquarius: Suite No. 2 (13')
Jonathan Besser: Ponsonby Road 1 (4')
Louise Webster: Swim the Sliding Continents (5')
Nigel Keay: Serenade for Strings (17')
Ross Harris: Music for Jonny (8')
String Orchestra with soloist
Alex Taylor: Tiaho Mai — solo soprano (7')
Andrew Perkins: Concerto for Violoncello and Strings — solo cello (21')
David Hamilton: Concertino for Oboe and Strings — solo oboe (12')
Ken Wilson: Concerto for Clarinet and Strings — solo clarinet (15')
Rod Biss: Four New Zealand Bird Songs — solo soprano voice (15')
Ross Harris: Concertino for piano and strings — solo piano (12')
Ross Harris: Aria for Solo Viola and Strings — solo viola (9')
Thomas Goss: Ecstasy of Flight — two solo violins (10')
Douglas Lilburn
Works for orchestra
Overture: Aotearoa (8')
Festival Overture (7')
Drysdale Overture (10')
Suite for Orchestra (15')
A Song of Islands (16')
A Birthday Offering (11')
Symphony No. 1 (30')
Symphony No. 2 (30')
Symphony No. 3 (15')
Works for string orchestra
Allegro for Strings (10')
Introduction and Allegro for Strings (9')
Concert Overture in D (7')
Diversions (15')
Canzona 1 (4')
Canzona 2 (3')
Canzona 3 (2')
Canzona 4 (2')