The Press 1983: An old hand …
Press, 10 August 1983, Page 16
For Allister Bush, a 17-year-old seventh former from Christchurch Boys’ High School, playing in the finals of the Westpac schools chamber music competition will hold a little less dread than for most of his rivals. The violinist has done it all before. In fact, he has competed in one or other of the instrumental finals every year since the fourth form, and this year is in three groups. He will play for the Christchurch School of Instrumental Music’s Trio and the Pamiers Quartet, from the Christchurch Conservatoire of Music, in the small group section; and in the conservatoire’s string orchestra.
Like many other young string players in Christchurch, Allister began his musical career at the C.S.I.M. where he first played in the Suzuki classes “about 10 years ago.”
From there he progressed through the school’s seven orchestras to his place in the first violins in the number one orchestra, but he can still recall playing in Miss Doyle’s “beginner strings” group. While managing a busy school career that includes preparing for bursary and scholarship exams later this year, Allister also has time to play in the Christchurch Youth Orchestra, is in his second year in the National Youth Orchestra and has joined the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Allister attributes his unusual success in the chamber music competition to “being in the right place at the right time,” but a knowing word comes from Miss Doyle when she adds that he is also a good player. Since the fifth form he has been tutored by Pauline Smith at the conservatoire, and says that he has “really started to enjoy it and put a
bit more time into it.” Allister has an obvious passion for chamber music — “there’s something about the sound of a string quartet which is really nice,” he says. But it is more than just the sound of the music that attracts him.
Playing chamber music does not bring the extreme pressures that a soloist has to deal with, but at the same time the performance is still exposed and any little slip is noticed. It brings the challenge of being able to blend in well with others.
Having played in a number of different groups, Allister has found that he now enjoys several styles of music, and is grateful for people such as Peter Zwartz, the conductor of the Christchurch Youth Orchestra, for introducing him to contemporary composers such as Lillburn and Skulthorpe.
