Boat International March 2020

Possibly the only New Zealander to have been attacked by a library, Nick Bridge's frightening early encounter with words did not blunt his enjoyment of them. The former diplomat has written a memoir of disarming frankness and humour about a life that ranged the globe – with assignments in seven countries including India, China and the United Kingdom.

'Short pieces' are what generally dominate the second half of the traditional recital. They are meant to be diverse and cover a lot of musical territory in a short amount of time. As the particular pieces on this album are also programmatic, 'Short Stories' became the title of my ninth album of chamber music. Though my parents have since passed on, the remaining family members who were playing on the first album are represented here: my wife Tanya on viola and violin and my uncle Harold on doublebass. We are also joined by Greg Diehl and Kaila Graef, the two other members of the American Viola Quartet.