24 musicians from the City of Holroyd Brass Band and from The New Zealand Dance Company – eight extremely talented contemporary dancers with the males wearing khaki, together they have created a stunning music/dance tribute to our courageous Anzacs. Timed to honour the Gallipoli landings by the Anzacs in 1915, ROTUNDA brings the raw spirit of ANZAC to life, in this live music memorial, dedicated to the thousands of Australians and New Zealanders, who died in the horrific battles of World War One.
Everyone including non-dance audiences, needs to experience what can be achieved with a full large ensemble Brass Band providing the perfect music to inspire four female and four male dancers, all dancing and laughing and singing, providing outstanding dance theatre.
With the piece “He toa taumata rau / Courage has many resting places” (Maori Proverb) a sudden and unexpected blast of brass from the two entrances to the stalls, saw the full band quickly entering the theatre and marching up the central staircase onto the stage. A lone dancer, dances magically with five meters of kakhi tulle that seems to be alive, that is fully syncronized to the music, and the tulle is dancing rhymically via the tornado of air created centre stage.
Each new music piece brings another dance episode in the Anzac Story:- women grieving and reacting to their departing men who are going to war; carefree young soldiers before experiencing the many horrors of war; a soldier trying to wake up his dead mate….
ROTUNDA powerfully brings alive, the world of the band rotunda with both traditional music and a new music score, and thoroughly astounded a sold out opening night audience, at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta.
Shona McCullagh is well known as one of New Zealand’s outstanding cross platform artists, and is the choreographer of ROTUNDA. Also coming from New Zealand with the dancers, and dressed in military-styled khaki uniforms, are the band’s conductor and the featured drummer.
It was a great night. Presented by Riverside Theatres, by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia, with support from Creative New Zealand’s Touring Australia initiative, ROTUNDA played the Riverside theatre between the 13th and the 16th May, 2015.
Director and Concept: Shona McCullagh
Choreography: Shona McCullagh and the dancers of The New Zealand Dance Company
Dancers:
Chrissy Kokiri
Lucy Lynch
Chris Ofanoa
Gareth Okan
Katie Rudd
Hannah Tasker-Poland
Tupua Tigafua
Carl Tolentino
Georgie Goater (Understudy)
Aloalii Tapu (Understudy)
Lisa McFarlane (Secondee)
Taniroa Motutere (Secondee)
Creative Team:
Set Designer- Joe Bleakley
Costume Designer: Jane Holland
Lighting Designer: Paul O’Brien
Audio Visual Designer: Augusto Ltd
Musical Director: Don McGlashan
Conductor: Marc Taddei
Musician: Cameron Lee
Dramaturg: Michelanne Forster
THE MUSIC REPERTOIRE AND THE COMPOSERS:
The music score as performed by the City of Holroyd Brass Band, was written New Zealand composers Gareth Farr, John Ritchie and Don McGlashan.
Flourish For An Occasion by John Ritchie
Invercargill by Alex Lithgow
Invercargill Deconstructed by Alex Lithgow, arr. Don McGlashan
Tawhirimatea by Gareth Farr (recorded by the National Youth Band of New Zealand, conducted by Nigel Weeks)
Coventry Carol by Trad, arr. Don McGlashan
E Pari Ra (sung) by Paraire Tomoana, arr. Don McGlashan
Jerusalem by William Blake/Hubert Parry, arr. Don McGlashan
Threnody by John Ritchie
Flourish Homecoming by John Ritchie, arr. Don McGlashan
Colne by Thomas Rive
Nimrod, from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, arr. Denis Wright
Chorale Prelude #1 by Johannes Brahms
All other incidental music by Don McGlashan.