HAMMERS
& HORSEHAIR

Hammers & Horsehair with Rowena Simpson (soprano) present a Salon Concert with an historical theme.

In 1922 and 1923 Blenheim-born soprano Rosina Buckman made a triumphant homecoming tour, bringing with her cellist Adelina Leon and pianist-composer Percy Kahn. Rosina's farewell concert in London was to an audience of 10,000 in the Royal Albert Hall. Her tour began in Wellington on 15 May 1922 and ended in March the following year after more than 110 performances across New Zealand and Australia. New Zealanders couldn't get enough of their homegrown singing superstar.

In 2022 and 2023, a century after the original tour, Hammers & Horsehair reimagines Rosina's homecoming. Cellist Robert Ibell and soprano Rowena Simpson join forces with well-known Wellington pianist, Jonathan Berkahn, as our founding member Douglas Mews bows out in 2023.

Hammers & Horsehair will perform classics from the tour, such as “Waiata Poi” by Alfred Hill, Puccini’s “One Fine Day” and “Love's a Merchant” by Molly Carew for soprano & piano, “Annie Laurie” and Percy Kahn’s “Ave Maria” for soprano, cello & piano, Rimsky Korsakov’s “Chanson Indoue”, Dvorak's “Humoresque” and Moskowski's “Guitarre” for cello & piano. The programme also includes some of their own favourites, including Arditi's “Il Bacio”, and the various musical items in this lively concert are interspersed with anecdotes from the 1922/3 tour.

Rowena Simpson – Soprano
Robert Ibell – Cello
Jonathan Berkahn – Piano

Rowena Simpson grew up in Wellington, Hamilton and London and began her performing career as a cellist, chorister and dancer. She studied singing with German soprano Rosemary Gordon and graduated with degrees in musicology and linguistics from Victoria University before leaving for The Netherlands in 1997, where she studied singing and historical performance practice at the Royal Conservatoire.

While based in Europe, she performed with professional chamber ensembles and was a soloist in the baroque and classical repertoires. Since returning to NZ in 2006, Rowena has developed a career as a singing teacher and as a freelance performer in chamber music and opera, working with organisations such as Chamber Music NZ, NZ Barok, The Queen’s Closet, CBS Music Trust, Days Bay Opera, Pinchgut Opera (Sydney), and NZ Opera.

Robert Ibell was born in Dannevirke and brought up in Palmerston North. While training there as a school teacher he learned cello from Judith Hyatt in Wellington.

From 1986 to 1992 Robert lived in London, studying cello with Tania Hunt, Derek Simpson and Christopher Bunting. He played at music schools and in masterclasses (where his teachers included Alexander Baillie, Steve Doane, Anner Bylsma and Steven Isserlis), taught, gave recitals and played in professional and amateur orchestras.

From 1993 to 2020 Robert was a member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He is also an experienced chamber musician, touring regularly for Chamber Music New Zealand. Robert has been a member of the Aroha Quartet since 2009. He also plays in contemporary music group Stroma New Music Ensemble, indie/folk/rock band Milkthistle, and is a Recording Artist for Radio NZ Concert.

Jonathan Berkahn is an accompanist, soloist, chamber musician, choral conductor, composer and educator. He grew up in Palmerston North but moved to Wellington in 1990 to study composition and then performance with Douglas Mews, eventually gaining a BMus in composition, a Bmus (Hons) in performance, and a PhD in music history from the New Zealand School of Music/Victoria University, where he also worked as a tutor and visiting lecturer.

He is the principal accompanist for Wellington’s Orpheus Choir and the Festival Singers, director of music at St James’ Anglican Church in Lower Hutt, and has accompanied many other choirs and soloists around New Zealand. He has also been active in many folk/traditional bands – Celtic and Eastern European, the Wellington Irish Sessions and is a ceilidh (dance) caller.