Recorded live, this concert celebrated 20 wonderful years of music brought to you through Auckland Libraries concert series. The unique programme brought together talented musician who have participated in many years of concert performance.

Lawrence Wong (piano) 5min - 20min approx.

Étude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 Chopin

Nostalgia, from Distant Voices Gao Ping

Canzona Serenata, from Forgotten Melodies, Book I, Op. 38, No. 6 Medtner

Primavera, from Forgotten Melodies, Book II, Op. 39, No. 3 Medtner

Francis-Lee Duo 20min - 40min approx.

Charlotte Francis (violin) with Gemma Lee (piano)

Spring Sonata (Ist movt) Beethoven

Selected movements from Much Ado About Nothing Suite for violin and piano Korngold

Hot Canary! Paul Nero

William Green (piano) 40 - 55mins approx.

Foxglove Bells Ernest Jenner

Two Little Birds F. Hutchens

No. 1 from 24 Preludes for Solo Piano Jeremy Cullen

No. 16, 15, 18, 9 and 8 from 24 Short Preludes for Piano William Green

A Score for Celebration William Green

Auckland Philharmonia's Aspiring Musicians 55min - 1:09min approx.

Featuring Amada Quartet with Formaggio

Invention No. 1 (Formaggio) J S Bach

Marziale (Formaggio) Rochberg

Vivace Assai (mvt 4) from String Quartet in D minor (Amada) Haydn

Concerto Doppio Op. 3 (Formaggio + Amada) Handel

Mezzo Soprano Margo Knightbridge shares a few words

Lawrence Wong (piano)

Born in Hong Kong and raised in New Zealand, Lawrence Wong recently graduated from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under Professor Emile Naoumoff. Currently he is studying for his PHD in Chemistry at the University of Auckland.

William Green (piano)

William Green studied piano with Jean MacLachlan in Ashburton, and with Maurice Till at the University of Canterbury, graduating MA/MusB. His diverse career as a pianist has involved work with opera, dance, choirs, improv theatre, silent film and as a solo recitalist, performing music by around 70 NZ composers in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. He is also an arranger, teacher, music director, pre-concert speaker reviewer, writer on music and poet. .

Francis-Lee Duo

Formed in 2016, Francis-Lee Duo consists of University of Auckland School of Music graduates, violinist Dr Charlotte Francis and pianist Gemma Lee. Both have gained individual successes in chamber music throughout New Zealand and overseas

Formaggio is a double reed duo, consisting of Milli Manins on oboe and Sue Lynn Leong on bassoon. They are excited to share the unique music and sounds of the double reeds.

Amada Quartet

Amada Quartet is made up of violinists Lorna Zhang and Sarah Lee, violist Esther Oh, and cellist Howard Lu. They are based in Auckland and studied music from the University of Auckland School of Music. The musicians are part of the Auckland Philharmonia Aspiring Musicians Programme and emerging soloists on their respective instruments.

Join Marilyn Portman in conversation with Sue Berman as they discuss the celebrated history of musical concerts at the City Central Library.

In this interview Marilyn shares the foundation story behind what became a regular concert series, its many iterations and various talents, and remanences on her favourite moments across her long career as a music librarian.

For more images and to read more about the concerts check out our Heritage et AL blog https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/09/celebrating-twenty-years-of-heritage.html

Image: Photo by Benjamin Brooking taken for the Ngako: Musical Manuscripts recording 2022.

On Thursday 26 June 2025, Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library presented The Kotuku Quintet in a special concert: From Mozart to Matariki

The programme was based on a Mozart piano concerto and drew on inspiration from the celebration of Matariki in a brand new work by pianist and composer Louise Webster.

Piano concerto no. 13 in C, KV 415 W.A. Mozart

Allegro ; Andante ; Rondeau: Allegro

Mozart’s Piano concerto in C KV 415 was written in Vienna in 1782, one of three composed for sale to the Viennese public by advance subscription. A major selling point was that they were composed not only for concert use but also for performance at home, as the wind parts were not structurally important and could easily be dispensed with. The concerto is in three movements. The opening Allegro has a march-like theme, the Andante is lyrical and operatic in character, and the work ends with a Rondeau finale, where jovial sections alternate with a pair of pathos-laden Adagios.

Phantasy for Piano Quartet in F# minor Frank Bridge

The Phantasy for Piano Quartet was written in 1910, and is one of Bridge

s most characterful early works, showing the influence of Brahms and French Romanticisim. All the musical ideas spring from the passionate opening flourish. There are three main sections. The first, Andante con moto , flows with Gallic grace, rather like a Barcarolle. A scherzo, Allegro vivace , follows, with a contrasting song song-like trio section that looks back to the opening ideas. A short recitative recitative-like passage then leads back to a reprise of the opening themes. The music moves into an impassioned climax before dying away to what Benjamin Britten described as a short coda which suggests the deep red afterglow of a sunset

Lastly the feature piece - The paths of the sisters (2025)

Louise Webster

This work was commissioned by Ngā Pātaka Korero o Tamaki Makaurau for the celebration of Matariki. The title of the work 'following the paths of the sisters' refers to the Matariki constellation, welcoming the growth of the year to come. The stars are known as Matariki in Aotearoa and the Pleiades (the seven sisters) in the North. In many cultures the stars are viewed as a group of sisters, often accompanied by other family members. "While writing this work I thought of my for-bears, travelling by sea in 1839 from Caithness in the North of Scotland to Aotearoa, following the Matariki stars which remained a constant while all else changed" Louise Webster - composer.

The Kotuku Quintet are: Simon Ansell (violin), John Seager (violin), Judith Gust (viola), Sally-Anne Brown (cello), and Louise Webster (piano).

The Tāmaki Untold series celebrates the taonga, stories and creativity of Auckland.

In this episode listen in to the conversation held at Nga Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Central Library on Otherhood: Conversation about being childless, childfree and child-adjacent with guest writers Lil O'Brien and Paula Morris.

Facilitated by librarian reading engagement specialist Alison Fitzpatrick.

Otherhood was published in 2024 and is available for loan on the libraries catalogue: discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

"In Aotearoa the number of people who will never have children is growing - and they're pushing back against the narrative that if they don't, their lives will be somehow 'less than'. Otherhood's essays are by writers who've felt on the outside looking in, who've lived unexpected lives, and who've given the finger to social expectations. Some chose to be childfree, some didn't get to choose, and some - through bereavement or blended family dynamics - ask themselves: Am I a mother or am I other? Thought-provoking, moving and often hilarious, Otherhood opens a more inclusive conversation about what makes a fulfilling life."--Publisher's website.

Profile of speakers:

Lil O’Brien contributed to and co-edited Otherhood. They are the author of beloved Kiwi coming-out memoir Not That I'd Kiss a Girl, published in 2020. Lil’s writing has been described as “admirably frank.” Even better is her ability to recount what it's like to come to terms, as fully as one can, with one's own place in the world. They are an award-winning copywriter by day, and have been published in The Spinoff, takahē, Ensemble magazine and more. Lil is currently writing the screenplay for Not That I’d Kiss a Girl with South Pacific Pictures.

Dr Paula Morris (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Whātua) is an award-winning novelist, short-story writer, editor and essayist. She is an associate professor at the University of Auckland, where they direct the Master’s of creative writing. Paula is the founder of the Academy of NZ Literature, and Wharerangi – the online Māori Literature Hub. She is also editor of the Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books. She is the editor of the anthologies A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand (2021, with Alison Wong), and Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories (2023).

Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child-adjacent.

Edited by Alie Benge, Lil O’Brien, and Kathryn Van Beek, published by Massey University Press (August 2024).

Alison is joined in the studio by author Michael Bennett, to discuss his novel Carved in Blood, the third instalment in the gripping Hana Westerman series. Carved in Blood is published by Simon & Schuster and can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue https://bit.ly/3H48jtm

This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2025. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

Alison is joined in the studio by author Diana Wichtel, to discuss her memoir Unreel: A life in review, published by Penguin. Diana is an award-winning reviewer and bestselling author of Driving to Treblinka. Unreel is a brilliantly funny, achingly nostalgic memoir of a life spent watching and writing. Unreel can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue https://bit.ly/4m4TsOg

This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2025. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

On Saturday 28 June in celebration of Matariki and as part of our Tāmaki Untold series, Auckland Libraries hosted a conversation between Roimata Smail, author of ‘Understanding Te Tiriti’ and Avril Bell, author of ‘Becoming Tangata Tiriti’.

The two authors discussed the meaning of Te Tiriti and how we can work on better honouring this foundational document. The rich conversation and exploration of ideas, offer listeners a conversational glimpse into the detail of the books' content.

Listen in to the conversation here and follow the links below for access to further reading.

Understanding Te Tirit - Roimata Smail https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=13e92daf-1efc-5609-8139-601169f69151&entityType=FormatGroup

Becoming Tangata Tiriti - Avril Bell

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=c360b902-8e03-563a-933e-9b559553871b&entityType=FormatGroup

Follow Auckland Libraries for regular Tāmaki Untold conversations and other Heritage and Research events. www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

Interview host: Annette Keogh for Auckland Libraries Public Engagement.

Image supplied: Emily Chalk Photography

In this track Sue Berman talks with Tania Mace about her research into early inner city Auckland neighbourhoods.

Tania talks about her history research interests, her approach to documentary heritage material, her discoveries and the opportunities for research still to come.

Tania's research was undertaken with the support of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Trust - John Stacpoole Scholarship and through the use of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.

Listen to the associated oral history clips - https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/sets/lost-neighbourhoods-of

Read about Tania's research findings on Heritage et AL

https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/05/lost-neighbourhoods-of-central-auckland.html

Information about the ALHT John Stacpoole Scholarship here:

https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/05/auckland-library-heritage-trust-john.html

Read: Tania's recent publication

The near west : a history of Grey Lynn, Arch Hill and Westmere

https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=5d618312-e8c3-5cf4-9d6f-b31a81c813f6&entityType=FormatGroup

Explore space, time, and technology in science fiction through indigenous lenses with award-winning author Dr Gina Cole (Black Ice Matter; Na Viro) and writer, critic and producer, Dan Taipua.

Dr. Gina Cole is an award-winning author of Fijian, Scottish and Welsh descent. Her collection Black Ice Matter won the Hubert Church Prize for Best First Book Fiction in 2017. Her science fiction fantasy novel Na Viro (Huia, 2022) is a work of Pasifikafuturism following sisters wayfinding through sea and space. Awarded the 2023 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency in 2023, she is currently working on the second book in her Turukawa Trilogy.

Dan Taipua (Waikato-Tainui) is a writer and critic working in Tāmaki Makaurau. His interests cross through art history, popular culture and Te Ao Māori with a particular focus on futurism and imagined worlds. In 2015, Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson produced the documentary Aotearoa Futurism for RNZ Music, interviewing Māori and Pasifika artists whose works explore the boundaries of technology and time. This work has inspired further study of indigenous futurisms by scholars and creators alike and continues to shape Taipua's own critical practice.

This talk is in association with our sci-fi exhibition 'Other Worlds' and the 'Tāmaki Untold' series. Exhibition is open from 19 February to 2 August 2025 in the Heritage Gallery, Level 2, Central City Library / Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero.

Explore selected works by Dr Gina Cole and Dan Taipua along with some of the books, authors and works mentioned in this episode – all available either at Auckland Council Libraries or online.

Na Viro by Gina Cole. Huia Publishers, 2022

Wayfinding Pasifikafuturism : an indigenous science fiction vision of the ocean in space : a thesis by Gina Cole. Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand, 2020

https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/21b05630-28b2-4d93-85e9-f7156be8f0d9

Aotearoa Futurism Part One: Space Maori and Astronesians - podcast by Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson, RNZ Music, 2015

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201782605/aotearoa-futurism-part-one

Aotearoa Futurism Part Two: South Pacific Futurists podcast by Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson, RNZ Music, 2015

Remains to be Told: Dark Tales from Aotearoa edited by Lee Murray. Clan Destine Press, 2023

Walking the Stars: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction edited by Grace Dillon Star Waka by Robert Sullivan Auckland University Press, 1999

The Routledge Book of CoFuturisms edited by Taryne Jade Taylor, Isiah Lavender III, Grace L. Dillon and Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay. 1st edition, 2023. Full text available via Open Access with Taylor and Francis under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND.

How To Loiter in a Turf War by Coco Solid. Penguin Random House NZ, 2022

Island Time: South Pacific Futurism From a Contemporary Aotearoa Perspective by Jessica “Coco” Hansell published in The Funambulist, Issue 24: Futurisms, 2019

Navigator by Che Fu (Music CD) Sony, 2001

Lisa Reihana: Emissaries by Lisa Reihana. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2017

Goddess Muscle by Dr Karlo Mila Huia Publishers, 2020

Waerea by Mokotron (Music LP). Stebbing Recording Studio, 2024

Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman. Hachette Australia, 2017

How Māui Defied the Goddess of Death by Peter Gossage. 3rd edition, Puffin Books, 2012 You Are Here by Peata Larkin and Whiti Hereaka. Massey University Press, 2025

In this bonus track join host Sue Berman as she talks with Florette Cardon, Senior Library Research Assistant and exhibition curator researcher. Florette tells the story of how she came to dig deep into the world of Science Fiction art and design, leading her to discover and celebrate the work of Auckland born artist Mike Hinge.

See the exhibition on the Ground Floor of the Central City Library until the end of April or read more here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-legacy-of-mike-hinge.html

Visit the onsite exhibition and join us in a series of events and activations:

www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Other-Worl…exhibition

For recommended reads visit:

www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Other-Worlds-reads

Image: Florette Cardon in the exhibition, Central City Library, March 2025.

Produced by Sue Berman and JL.