Listen to the Grammy nominated CD from the NZSO

The NZSO has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance.

A recording of works by Chinese composer Zhou Long and the Symphony ‘Humen 1839’, written in collaboration with compatriot Chen Yi, is in the running for this prestigious prize. Singaporean Darrell Ang conducts the recording, which is released on the Naxos label.

“The works are exciting and colourful and provide many opportunities for the orchestra to display its affinity with contemporary music from the Asia-Pacific region,” says Christopher Blake, NZSO Chief Executive.

“This is one of many international collaborations and projects the NZSO has been involved in over the past few years. I’m proud that our players have been acknowledged for their artistic excellence and we look forward to the announcement of the winner next year.”

Widely regarded as one of China’s leading composers, Pulitzer Prize-winning Zhou Long writes music which is consistently compelling. The Rhyme of Taigu revives the spirit of Chinese court music from the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), drawing on traditional percussion instruments. Symphony ‘Humen 1839’, co-composed with Chen Yi, vividly commemorates the public burning of over 1000 tonnes of opium, an event that was to lead to the First Opium War between Great Britain and China.

Listen to Zhou, Long / Chen, Yi: Symphony, “Humen 1839” along with  Zhouu, Long: The Rhyme of Taigu / The Enlightened (New Zealand Symphony, Darrell Ang) with Naxos Music Online and your library card.

Listen to a selection of nominees for the Grammy Awards.

You may think the Grammy Award is all about D’Angelo and Taylor Swift and people you may never have heard about (or indeed care about), but wait there is more! Indeed the 83 different nomination categories are as wide as Best Album notes, Best Historical Album, Best Spoken Word Album, Best improvised Jazz Solo and Best Surround Sound Album.

Naxos Music Online who specialise in mostly Classical Music have made lists of recordings that have been nominated for Grammys and are available through Naxos Music Online – over 35 hours of recordings in a wide range of styles.

• 2016 Grammy Highlights
• 2016 – Best Orchestral Performance
• 2016 – Best Opera Recording, Part 1
• 2016 – Best Opera Recording, Part 2
• 2016 – Best Opera Recording, Part 3
• 2016 – Best Choral Performance, Part 1
• 2016 – Best Choral Performance, Part 2
• 2016 – Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
• 2016 – Best Classical Instrumental Solo
• 2016 – Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, Part 1
• 2016 – Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, Part 2
• 2016 – Best Classical Compendium, Part 1
• 2016 – Best Classical Compendium, Part 2
• 2016 – Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Listen with Naxos Music Online and your library card.

Commemorative events – Monday 22 February 2016

The fifth anniversary of the 22 February 2011 quake is on Monday 22 February 2016. There are some events on for the community to come together and reflect, and remember.

Civic Memorial Service

A Civic Memorial Service will be held at midday on the Archery Lawn in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and all members of the public are welcome to attend. The Mayor will give an address at the service. A minute’s silence will be observed at 12.51pm and the service is expected to end about 1pm. The service will also be livestreamed if you’d like to attend but can’t be there.

River of Flowers event on 22 February

River of Flowers will take place at over 20 sites along the waterway. It is organised by the Avon-Otakaro Network and Flourish Inc.

This event was first held on 22 February 2012, and is a way for the city to come together and let go through dropping flowers into the river, and to share two minutes of silence to remember those who have died, been injured, or who have lost their homes

Bloom at Canterbury Museum

Bloom is an exhibition commemorating the fifth anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake through poetry, stories and flowers.

The Roots of Christchurch

This yoga event at The Commons promises to be “a very special mindful meditation-yoga class experience”.

Smash Palace

Earthquake party 6pm. “Five years since the earthquake that changed our lives. Come down for a beer and a burger and remember the day that Christchurch shook. We’ve got TV3 Story coming down to shoot their news from here and the Mammy’s Boys playing from 7pm.”

A run to remember – Sunday 21 February

Mitre 10 MEGA – A Run to Remember is a 10km charity fun run/walk to honour those who lost their lives in the February 2011 earthquake. New Zealand Red Cross benefits from funds raised.

See also: What’s happening for the February earthquake anniversary? Georgina Campbell, The Press.

Calling all Book Fiends – to the library book sale

The Annual Christchurch City Library Book Sale is on again.  It’s book buying time again. Yeehah! Diary 11th/12th March and remember the tables are constantly reloaded, so going after work doesn’t mean you miss out. On Friday, they close at 7 pm.

I thought when I started working in the libraries that my mania for reading, borrowing and owning books would calm down … it has, a smidge. Nowadays I keep myself for the one book sale a year. Last year I promised Mr Bishi that I would restrict myself to non-fiction as we still haven’t read some of the fiction I purchased a couple of years ago and all the bookcases are bulging. The look of disbelief and the resigned note of his voice were uncalled for I felt.

Undaunted I headed for Pioneer Stadium and the travel and cooking sections and with neck crooked at a suitable angle and decent sized box ready at my feet I went searching. I was hoping for Slow by Alison Gofton a really good slow cook book I had borrowed but desperately wanted to own. Found a copy too! … And all the other books that tickled my fancy of course.

On one of my many raids at the Library Book Sale I noticed the woman in front of me was picking up the very books I would have gone for if she hadn’t been in front of me.  What to do? We had words … nice words. Turns out she too worked on the eyecatching ways of my sort of cover unless she knew and liked the author already. We agreed to trawl different aisles. It seemed to be the most civilised outcome.

The magazines are so cheap, worth buying just for the sudoku and crossword puzzles that haven’t been done because our customers respect that it’s a borrowed item and the articles of course. 10 for a dollar I call that excellent value. CDs, DVDs $3. Get that book the kids love that you constantly borrow but would love to own for $1.

And if you are a Friend of the Library (subscriptions in by 28th February) you get to go to the Sale Preview and pre-purchase and help your Libraries at the same time.

In the meantime, will I see you at the world famous in Christchurch Annual book sale? Do you have this thing about owning books as well as borrowing them? Don’t be ashamed you are not alone. Come to the sale and see just how many of us there are.

Like the Library Book Sale event on Facebook for updates.