Nicola Melville (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert, 9 April 1990.
Christopher Norton Photo: Supplied
Christopher Norton studied music at the University of Otago, and worked in New Zealand as a music teacher, pianist and composer. He moved to the UK in 1977 to study composition at York University with Wilfred Mellers and David Blake. While playing in various bands, Chris started to experiment with combinations of styles that crossed the divide between his classical background, and more contemporary popular styles. He is well known for the 'Microjazz' series, a large body of music for piano and other instruments intended for teaching, which draws on stylistic elements from jazz, rock, and popular music.
The short piano pieces that make up his Rock Preludes draw on the rhythmic and harmonic language of various flavours of popular music. The six preludes are titled Wildcat, Blurred Horizon, Jingo, Sierra, Rising Force, and Blue Sneakers. They cover a wide range of styles, from smooth jazz and laid-back ballads, to up-tempo funk. While the music is fully notated, the composer has preserved the improvised feel music which inspired them.
