Interview with Ross Harris

Interview with Ross Harris, born in Amberley in 1945. Talks about his family background, growing up in Ashburton and Christchurch and strict upbringing. Refers to the lack of music or music-making in the family and his interest not really starting until high school. Comments on joining the school band to avoid military service. Mentions learning the B flat bass tuba quickly and joining the Addington Workshop Brass Band. Refers to playing tuba in the Christchurch Civic Orchestra and struggling to learn to play the French horn. Comments on Clifton Cook, music teacher at Christchurch Boys' High School, and private harmony study with Vernon Griffiths. Talks about his early desire to write music as well as perform. Discusses studying music at the University of Canterbury, including studying composing with Bill Hawkey. Refers to his setting for Denis Glover's poem 'Arawata Bill' that was performed by Simon Tipping in the Great Hall, Christchurch. Mentions his close relationship with Dorothy Buchanan and Gordon Burt. Remembers his disillusionment with brass band playing and choosing to go to Britain with the Christchurch Harmonic Society choir rather than the New Zealand National Band.

Comments on marrying and moving to Wellington in 1967. Refers to working with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as a French horn player in 1969. Mentions being invited to teach at the university. Discusses the university's Music Department when he first arrived and the influence Frederick Page and his circle had had. Talks about studying French horn with Edward White, and studying towards a masters at Victoria University, mostly electronic music composition with Douglas Lilburn and David Farquhar. Recalls the slow transition from being a horn player who wrote music to being recognised as a composer. Talks about composing music for television series 'The Games Affair' and 'The Governor'. Discusses composing his opera 'The Clock Makers', and his collaboration with Witi Ihimaera on the opera "Waituhi' (1981-1983). Refers to a rift with Douglas Lilburn, and spending six months teaching at the Sydney Conservatorium. Outlines further opera projects with Witi Ihimaera and Vincent O'Sullivan, and a period as Composer in Residence with the Auckland Philamonia Orchestra. Comments on retiring from teaching at Victoria University when the School of Music merged with Massey University. Refers to becoming director of the Electronic Music Studio at Victoria University when Douglas Lilburn retired, but passing it over to John Young when he lost interest in electroacoustic music. Reflects on never feeling like an academic and not enjoying teaching. Comments on his early interest in modernism in music but moving away from it later. States his belief that music is language. Recalls his residencies, works he composed during residencies and people he collaborated with. Comments that now he has retired he can commit more fully to composing.

Interviewer(s) - Roger Smith

Accompanying material - List of names mentioned in the interview (with the abstracts)

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHDL-001796

Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s) digital sound recording(s). 6 Electronic document(s) - abstract, etc.. 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 2.50 Hours and minutes Duration.

Physical Description: Sound files - wave files; Textual files - Microsoft word, Adobe pdf

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHDL-001797, OHA-7622.

Search dates: 1945 - 2008

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Both printed and digital copies of the abstract are available