Gudrun Weeks to star in Sunset Concert

MAUREEN ODUBENG
Staff Writer | Thursday April 1, 2010 00:00

 

Gudrun will on April 11 share her vast talent, being quite competent in playing a number of instruments, in a concert simply termed 'A Sunset Concert', a concert, which tells her life through music. The concert will be staged at Maitisong, Gaborone. Gudrun, who will be the main player of the night, will however share the stage with other players, playing an array of classical music carefully selected - each of which tells a little something about Gudrun's life.

Gudrun's passion for music dates back to the time she was six years when she learnt to play recorder in Germany.'We four sisters would sit at the piano with father singing and playing two or three recorders: Watch Nachtigall (two recorders). My favourite Christmas carol was Es ist ein Reis entsprungen (violin trio). We walked every Sunday, taking the train to some nearby village and sang hiking songs: Es Toenen die Lieder, a round,' she recalled. She learnt to play the piano and violin at nine years of age.

Gudrun attended a number of musical schools and learnt with some of the best. She taught and played music at  number of places globally. Gudrun through her music interacted with people of diverse cultures including but not limited to stays in the United States of America, Switzerland and Papua New Guinea. Her first real job as a musician was with the Kansas City Conservatory. She also played in the Vermont Symphony and its quartet for nine years, doing many school concerts and travelling all around the state on weekends with the symphony.

'Several of us started the Brattleboro Music School in the 70s,' Gudrun noted.

Gudrun came to Botswana roughly 18 years ago and was immediately recruited for the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) to teach their new string department.

'They had all the instruments already: two basses, three celli, two violas and five violins. Twelve of us worked in hot and cold weather, outside under the trees,' she said.

Gudrun added that while with the BDF, their favourite piece seemed to be Don't Cry for me Argentina by Lloyd-Weber.

While in Botswana, she taught at Northside and later Maruapula School, but noted that both places had limited space and other priorities. She later decided to teach from home.

'David Slater has been a great collaborator and other pianists - Beate Toyka, Louise Abukar, Olga Merker, Verity Knight, Jane Swartland and cellist Gudrun Watzenboeck came from Austria - we did mostly benefit concerts with Camphill or for the Women's Shelter. We've never had a professional string quartet or an orchestra, but with all the new young talent we soon shall,' Gudrun said.