Fletcher Construction
Posted on December 6, 2009
Enjoyed a superb evening's performance for Fletcher Construction's centenary celebrations (1909-2009) at the Fletcher-built Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The evening featured a visual tour through the company's 100-year history complemented by music through the decades. After an initial performance in the museum foyer by a string quartet playing music from 1909 to 1919, I was commissioned to perform a musical timeline throughout dinner: 1920's music for the entrée; 1930's music throughout the main course; and 1940's music during dessert. Each course was preceded by a presentation of the company's achievements down through the years covered by those periods.
The instrument hired for the occasion was a 1909 New York Steinway & Sons Model D Concert Grand piano, which had been transported to the museum in the morning and tuned on site. The 100-year-old Steinway was in top form for its age, with a mature tonal quality and timbre, a crystalline upper register and warm, full bass notes, and delightfully sensitive to touch; overall, a pure delight to play.
Following dessert and the conclusion of my performance, master of ceremonies Nick Tansley and his band The Mod Squad provided dance music from the 1950's to the present day. It was a pleasure working along with Nick and organiser Christina de Boer to contribute to a memorable evening for the nearly 500 guests in attendance at Wellington's magnificent Te Papa venue. (Click here for photos.)
