Rakaia

About

Rakaia is a work for full orchestra characterised by the great Rakaia River in the South Island of New Zealand. The Rakaia begins its journey in the Southern Alps and reaches the Pacific Ocean 150km later just south of Christchurch. This piece follows that journey.

When I spent time studying in the South Island, the visits to and when crossing over the Rakaia river were always a sense of thorough enjoyment and amazement. When the opportunity arose to write a ‘river inspired’ work, the Rakaia was the clear choice.

Part of the commission of Rakaia was to write in a style both enjoyable and challenging for the players and audience, and for it to appeal to wide variety of audiences - young, old, families, a usual ‘concertgoing’ audience and those who are not.

Rakaia was commissioned by the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in June 2007 and was premiered in the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 5th August 2007 under the baton of Gary Daverne.