The father of New Zealand classical music is a man called Douglas Lilburn. He’s quite some time dead, but is regarded as the first New Zealander to gain notoriety as a composer here and overseas. He studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams in England and composed symphonies and stuff.
In the early 1970s I was full time studying Music and English at university. Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, had an Electronic Studio. It was “state of the art”. There were two rooms with every electronic gadgetry under the sun. One of the music papers I took required creating a music composition in the Electronic Studio.
Douglas Lilburn used to frequently compose in the Electronic Studio, although I had never met nor even seen him. I happened to be using one of the electronic rooms when he was using the other. I had seven tape recorders all going at once with the tapes encircling from the machine to the backs of chairs so that the music repeated itself as it circled around. I was thoroughly modern (for the time!)
I was totally engrossed in what I was doing. There was a knock on the door. The door opened. It was Douglas Lilburn himself! WOW! I was face to face with the maestro! Had he come to listen to my fabulous composition? He said, “Have you just about finished here? Cos I want to lock up and go home.”
I quickly packed up. What a lesson! Yes indeed! I was taught by Douglas Lilburn!
Back to Index
Next Story
Previous Story