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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=17-Apr-2015&lang=de&s=10238
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=17-Apr-2015&lang=de&s=10238
17-Apr-2015
by Heather Masefield
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| Pictures above: Starlight Trio of Kevin Friedrich, Lionel Reekie and Maurice Jones. Choir accompanied by Kevin Friedrich. New York based accordionist Kevin Friedrich returned to his home town of Dargaville, New Zealand to present his annual concert, "Afternoon of Music with Kevin Friedrich and Friends". The 2015 annual fundraising concert for the Dargaville Musuem included moving musical tributes in honor of local servicemen and women. The entire country as well as Australia and the United Kingdom are in the midst of presenting tributes, marking the 100th Anniversary of Gallipoli and the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII. For Kevin's tribute, he worked with renowned New Zealand composer Gary Daverne to provide 16 minutes of original sound track for a multimedia presentation featuring local servicemen and women, to which Kevin played live. The work titled "This is Our Home" comprised three movements: I. The Journey, (with backing by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) II. Gallipoli, III. This is Our Home which featured narration and vocals by Lionel Reekie. The audience was deeply moved by the poignant music, continuing to draw in audible breaths and sighs as the history of the many local people who died in these wars was recognised. Many eyes had tears in them as the audience gained their feet to applaud for a very long time, this stunning video/musical rememberance. Another original composition commissioned for the concert was a haunting waltz by popular Scottish accordionist Gary Blair, who had composed the piece Waltzing Home for Kevin to play on this program. The beautiful new work was extremely well received by the capacity audience. The 8th Annual Concert presented by Kevin at Lighthouse Function Center at the Dargaville Museum, was sold out weeks earlier, and featured an array of local and guest talent. The moving concert opened with the Last Post and Rouse along with the raising and lowering of the New Zealand flag in honor of the Service personnel and one of two National Anthems, God Save the Queen performed by the Auckland Accordion Symphonietta conducted by Lionel Reekie. This 18 piece accordion orchestra then opened the musical part of the concert, with the afternoon going on to feature vocalists, instrumentalists and readings, including performances by Maurice Jones and his daughter Alanah (vocals). Maurice performed with Lionel Reekie as the Starlight Duo, and were joined by Kevin for one number as the Starlight Trio. A humorous moment occurred when Lionel Reekie and Kevin performed the old time favorite 'I Brought My Harp to the Party, but Nobody asked me to Play'. With some localizing of the words, the adapted song 'I Brought my Accordion to the Concert, but Nobody asked me to Play' included local identities and humor. At the end of the song when the words say 'so I threw the thing away' the audience was amused, and relieved to later find out, that through a quick switch and slight of hand, that the accordion that went hurtling out the door into the carpark, was actually a dummy polystyrene accordion! The finale of the concert was the multimedia presentation, which elicited a standing ovation, with the concert closing with the second of New Zealand's National Anthem's God Defend New Zealand, followed by the traditional Jam Session. Picture below: Kevin Friedrich next to one of the 888,246 hand made ceramic poppies used in the impressive display at the Tower of London in the United Kingdom. |
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