Upbeat for Monday 25 July 2016

1pm Lexus Song Quest in the Spotlight

International judge Yvonne Kenny has spent the last few weeks working with the 2016 Lexus Song Quest finalists. She explains how hard it was to pick just one winner out of the four very talented vocalists at Saturday night's competition Grand Final.

1.20 A tough competition

Peter Hoar gives his impressions of how the four finalists - Benson Wilson, Tavis Gravatt, Madison Nonoa and Filipe Manu - from the 2016 Lexus Song Quest performed in the Grand Final.

1.30 Instrumental

Maurice Reviol is a talented woodwind and brass instrument maker based in Auckland. He tells us about discovering the bassoon at four years old, how difficult it is to make one and what it takes to make a waterphone from scratch.

1.40 The Afterlife 

Auckland's Blackbird Ensemble is forging a reputation for creating a unique combination of musical and theatrical magic on stage. Composer Claire Cowan and percussionist Chris O'Connor talk about the new show "The Afterlife" where the usual safety nets of printed scores and traditional format are gone. There is literally no “concert etiquette” left in sight, nobody knows where the show will go next. The Afterlife explores dark corners of human life and regrets through a post-living perspective.