Christchurch musos tour the country

For immediate release

‘Songs My Mother Taught Me’’

Naomi Ferguson tours with Graham Wardrop and Alex van den Broek – 6 April to 14 May

It is the magnetic smile that strikes you first, but it is the voice that lingers.

Naomi Ferguson has a honey voice, a compelling stage presence, and in Songs My Mother Taught Me, presented to acclaim at the 2009 Christchurch Arts Festival and the Wellington Life is a Cabaret season, the perfect vehicle for showing off her talents.

Songs My Mother Taught Me is very much a New Zealand story, set in the 70s, a time when teenage Cilla leaves behind her sheltered upbringing to let her hair down while studying in Christchurch. Academic study collides with social upheaval as Cilla experiments with drugs, protest, motorbikes and music festivals. She falls in love, has her heart broken and her ideals shattered, eventually finding the strength to live life on her own terms.

Accompanied by top musicians Graham Wardrop (guitar) and Alex van den Broek (piano), Ferguson tours the country (itinerary listed below) to relate Cilla’s story with seamless segues into the iconic songs of the 60s and 70s including those of Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and ‘I am Woman’ by Helen Reddy.

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Reviews and Audience Responses
Ferguson is a superb musician with a gorgeous, golden voice. Every song is beautifully sung with complete assurance and stylistic control. She seems to have a real affinity with Leonard Cohen's songs and her performance of 'Suzanne' was a highlight …..She rises to the challenge of representing multiple characters with some believable and often very funny characterisation, particularly that of Cilla and her boyfriend, the chauvinistic Johnnie.
(Vicki Thorpe) www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews

…..the story of Cilla's misspent year and a half, during which she slides uncritically and deliciously into free-thinking, moderate amounts of sex, drugs and alcohol, the Ngaruawahia Festival and some rather unrewarding relationships and missed opportunities.….[Ferguson is] a mature singer with a fine voice in great command of a wide range of music. www.theatreview.org.nz

Her versatility is amazing from serious to comedy, upbeat to soul searing sadness... she has so much talent and vitality... Naomi was superb, especially her performance of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah’... A gifted and beautiful performer with so much promise.

The Performers

Naomi Ferguson
Naomi Ferguson has been performing professionally in New Zealand for 14 years. Recent performances include Two of the Best with the Canterbury Symphony Orchestra, a show of Bob Dylan’s songs at the Nelson Winter Festival and At Last, her tribute to Etta James, at the Christchurch International Jazz Festival. Naomi performs and writes original music as a soloist and with her band The Three Of Hearts.

Theatrical roles include Lady Muldoon in The Real Inspector Hound, Julie in Cosi and Gloria in Brassed Off! (Christchurch Repertory Theatre), Grizabella in Cats (Showbiz Christchurch), Bet in Oliver and the title role in The Little Mermaid (The Court Theatre).

She has released two albums; Don’t Think Twice with Graham Wardrop (2009) and her self-titled debut produced by Malcolm McNeill (2005. Naomi is in the process of recording a third.

Graham Wardrop
Acclaimed as New Zealand's finest finger style guitarist, Graham Wardrop is regularly called upon to give concert performances, play on television and studio recording sessions, and hold workshops in advanced fingerstyle techniques for steel string guitar.

During his 30 year career he has toured with Australia's Slim Dusty, opened shows for Manhattan Transfer, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and Vanessa-Mae, played alongside Tommy Emmanuel and Gray Bartlett, and on shows with Martin Taylor, Leo Kottke and Michael Fix. In recent years his music has taken him to Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Asia as well as destinations around New Zealand – playing solo or as a soloist with orchestra. He handcrafts the instruments on which he performs.
Alex van den Broek
A co-founder and musical director/conductor ('05-09) of new-music ensemble, Silencio, Alex van den Broek has a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury (2009 and a Diploma in Jazz from CPIT Jazz School, majoring in Composition and Arranging.
He is the recipient of four compositional awards including The Douglas Lilburn Prize (2003/2004) and has received compositional grants from Creative New Zealand.
Alex plays trumpet and keyboard in a variety of ensembles and bands as well as working as a freelance composer, arranger, educator and conductor.
Itinerary

Wednesday 6 April 7.30pm - Ashburton
Ashburton Trust Event Centre
$20 or Invite an AOT Newby for $30 (incl service fees)
Book: Event Centre ticket office or Ticketdirect.co.nz

Friday 8 April 7.30pm - Westport
NBS Theatre 105 Palmerston St
$20 Book: NBS Theatre

Saturday 9 April 7.30pm - Reefton
Reefton Area School Library
Adults $10, Student $5, Family $20
Book: 03 732 8111

Sunday 10 April 8.30pm - Onekaka
The Mussel Inn
$15 Book: The Mussel Inn

Wednesday 13 April 7.30pm - Oamaru
ODT Inkbox
Oamaru Opera House
$19.90 plus service fee
Book: Oamaru Opera House
or Ticketdirect 03 433 0770

Thursday 14 April 8pm - Ranfurly
Ranfurly Town Hall
$20 Book: Maniototo Information Centre

Friday 15 April 7.30pm – Alexandra
Orchard Garden, Dunstan Rd
$20 Book: Alexandra Information Centre

Saturday 16 April 7.30pm - Roxburgh
Roxburgh Town Hall
$20 Door sales

Sunday 17 April 7.30pm - Dunedin
New Edinburgh Folk Club
The Church Cafe and Cinema, Dundas St
Book: www.nefc.org.nz or Twangtown 45 Moray Place

Tuesday 26 April - Omapere
Copthorne Hokianga
$15 Book: shcac@hokianga.com

Wednesday 27 April 7.30pm - Kaikohe
Castle Duo
Prepaid $20 or $25 on the door
Book: Nursery Box or Castle Duo

Thursday 28 April 7.30pm - Kerikeri
Downstairs at the Turner Centre
$25 Adult; $20 Concession
Book: The Turner Centre 0800 200 411
Or www.centakeri.com

Friday 29 April 7.30pm - Coromandel
Hauraki House
$20 - Concessions apply
Book: Coromandel I-Site

Saturday 30 April -Whakatane
Details to be confirmed

Sunday 1 May 7.30pm – New Plymouth
Theatre Royal TSB Showplace
Book: Ticketmaster@TSBshowplace or 0800 111 999

Thursday 5 May 7.30pm - Arrowtown
Athenaeum Hall
$15 Book: Lakes Museum 03 442 1824

Sunday 8 May 2pm (Mother’s Day) - Upper Hutt
Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre
$25 buy mum an extra ticket for $15
Book: Expressions 04 527 2168 or www.expressions.org.nz

Monday 14 May 8.00pm – Invercargill - In association with the Southland Festival of the Arts
Centrestage Theatre
$28/$20 Book: Ticketdirect

Arts on Tour New Zealand
Based at the historic Arts Centre of Christchurch, Arts on Tour New Zealand organises tours of outstanding New Zealand performers to rural and smaller centres in New Zealand. The trust liaises with local arts councils, repertory theatres and community groups to bring the best of musical and other talent to country districts.

ENDS

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