Work
Taharoto
for orchestra
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About
This work was written for the Taharoto Orchestra - a group consisting of students from both Westlake Girls and Westlake Boys High Schools conducted by Liz Cable.
The name 'Taharoto' is derived from two Māori words and is an approximation of the idea of 'Westlake'. Literally it means 'beside' (taha) 'lake' (roto). The lake is Lake Pupuke on Auckland's North Shore. A feature of the lake is the swans, and the symbol for Westlake Girls High School is the swan. I was asked to include ideas of the lake covered in mist and the swans taking flight, but also to include music which suggested aspects of the characters of the students at Westlake Girls High School: generous, assertive and energetic!
Overall the music has a sense of spaciousness, building to an emphatic climax, and subsiding into silence again at the end. The music includes some 'contemporary' playing techniques for the string players, with some more challenging parts for the leading wind players.
Commissioned note
Written for the Taharoto Orchestra and conductor by Liz Cable
Difficulty note
Suitable for schools
Dedication note
Dedicated to Liz Cable and the Taharoto Orchestra from Westlake Girls and Westlake Boys High School