Growing up on a Canterbury goat farm provided a captivated audience and favourable acoustics for Dudley Benson to develop his singing talents. Eventually he became head soloist of the Christchurch Cathedral Choir, going on to embrace pop and composition, to create a wholly original sound.
Here Dudley Benson is accompanied by a choir and string quartet to re-imagine his Wuthering Heights-via-Banks Peninsula compositions in a magical performance in the candle-lit, white marble surrounds of St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland.
Included are versions of the negro spiritual 'Deep River', Kate Bush's song 'Hounds Of Love'; an ode to a hedgehog, and songs about asthma and being a good listener.
The songs are: 'Domino', 'The Awakening', 'Deep River', 'Lingeress', 'Asthma', 'Resonate', 'Audrey H', 'It's Akaroa's Fault', 'Hounds Of Love', 'On the Shoulders of the Earth', 'I Don't Mind'.
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Dudley Benson in Session
Dudley Benson performs in session for Music 101. The songs are: 'On The Shoulders Of The Earth', 'Willow', 'Asthma', 'It's Akaroa's Fault (Nuri Mix)'. 2006
Dudley Benson talks of his love of Christchurch
Dudley Benson lost a friend in the CTV building, but his family in Governors Bay are all alright. He reflects on his love of Christchurch, and explains the background to his song 'It's Akaroa's Fault'. March 2011.
Dudley Benson and the Dawn Chorus Live
Waitakere's Oratia Settlers Hall hosts the final show of a nationwide tour of marae and community halls, presenting re-interpretations of Hirini Melbourne's bird waiata as well as fresh takes on his own back-catalogue. 2010.
Dudley Benson talks about the live recording of 'Forest' at Oratia Settlers Hall in 2010.
Dudley Benson - Forest
Re-imagined songs by the late Maori composer, poet and author, Hirini Melbourne, using Taonga Puoro and the human voice alone - including a capella ensemble The Dawn Chorus, beat boxer King Homeboy and 'Freak Folk' godmother, Vashti Bunyan.
Dudley Benson: music of the birds
Composer and singer whose second album, Forest: Songs by Hirini Melbourne, is a reworking of waiata by the renowned Maori musician. In conversation with Kim Hill.
Adventures in Musicland: Dudley Benson in Japan
Composer and performer Dudley Benson spends two weeks as artist in residence in the Japanese historical city of Kurashiki, and gets a sense of how heritage is part of both the present and future of Japanese traditional arts.
