The Lilburn Lecture 2016: Jenny McLeod: Prosaic Notes from an Unwritten Journal - AUDIO

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In this year's lecture, composer Jenny McLeod considers Douglas Lilburn’s thoughts on tradition and language and shares her own personal reflections, in illustrated verse.

Listen to 'Prosaic Notes from an Unwritten Journal' duration 54′ :42″ Add to playlist Download Download as Ogg Download as MP3 Play Ogg in browser Play MP3 in browser Listen to 'Prosaic Notes from an Unwritten Journal' Jenny McLeod says: Douglas Lilburn and I were personal friends from 1961. We had a lot in common, and I knew him better than most. First I entered the Victoria University Music Department as one of his students. Through my post-graduate years studying overseas, we corresponded by letter. Later on we became professional colleagues: he requested me to come back and teach at Victoria, which eventually resulted in my appointment there as a junior lecturer. He started the Waiteata Music Press at Victoria and promptly also became my music publisher. A six-year period (from 1971) followed, during which on Freddy Page's retirement, I took over as professor of music and head of department at Vic (and Douglas received his own personal chair). During this period I was technically his boss.

Then taking an unusually 'early retirement' myself (aged 35) I resigned and went off on a 'spiritual walkabout' for some years, returning in 1981 to New Zealand, and specifically to Pukerua Bay to live. Since then I have been a freelance composer, and have also grown very close to the Maori people, especially to Ngati Rangi at Ohakune.