Sunday 13th May, 7.30 pm

All Saints Church, Ponsonby, Auckland, N.Z.

Bruce Paine and Rex Button playing guitar duets at Torbay house concert

Precise programme details are to be finalised but will consist entirely of music for two guitars.

Bruce Paine and Rex Button return to the Classic Guitar Society of Auckland, this time as guest performers at the May meeting.  They will present a selection of works from their current concert repertoire.

Note: The Classic Guitar Society has a variety of entrance fees depending on your member- ship status, as follows: Non-financial members: $8.00, Non-financial performers: $4.00, Parents of performers: $4.00, Financial Members: FREE

Bruce Paine & Rex Button - Biography

Guitarists Bruce Paine and Rex Button have had a long friendship and association as duet partners since meeting as participants of a John Mills Summer School in Palmerston North.  Early on they explored a wide range of duet repertoire together and participated in master-classes with visiting overseas guitarists when the opportunity arose.

With a keen interest in solo repertoire as well, they worked towards a combined concert featuring pieces from both disciplines (the best of both worlds that they could muster at the time).  Their first public performance together was a well received concert for Amnesty International that took place in an acoustically inspiring, octagonal church in Glen Eden.

Although not an established "professional" duo with an on-going career, Bruce and Rex have met as regularly as time permits in order to keep the music alive.  Since the Amnesty concert they have played in a variety of situations, including performances for the Clef Club, Savage Club, St Lukes Anglican Church, some Paine family wedding ceremonies (one accompanied by pipe organ), house concerts and more.

Due to respective family and University commitments, they took a break from duo work which lasted nearly ten years but started again in 2004 as had been anticipated.  With renewed enthusiasm and new ideas to explore they have enjoyed nurturing a varied collection of music with a view to recording and performing the works. Their concert "hiatus" ended in December 2005 when they presented a short programme of renaissance duets as part of a Howick "Thursdays at Seven" concert.  This was followed some months later in October 2006 when they presented their first full programme of guitar duets for the Torbay concert series.

The programme to be presented on the 12th April will consist of music recently learned and pieces that have been old favourites since the Paine-Button duo formed.  With this concert they look forward to continue to share their love of guitar music and their mutual enjoyment of all that duet playing is about.