Perfect for orchestras wanting a delicate work that highlights the flute, Ritchie's The Snow Goose (1982) is now available. The composer writes: "This is a gentle tribute to the goose which, together with Philip Rhayader and Frith, is a central figure in Paul Gallico's classic story of the Second World War, The Snow Goose. This feathered wanderer from Canada, rescued from the marshes of Essex by Frith, tamed and befriended by Rhayader, follows his boat as far as the beaches of Dunkirk."
John Ritchie was one of New Zealand’s senior composers. Throughout a long composing career, he elected to write in an accessible and traditional manner, often in stark contrast to much of the work being produced by his contemporaries in the style of the European avant garde. He created a body of work which, while less well-known than it deserves to be, is loved and enjoyed by performers and audiences alike for its deft craftsmanship and pleasing melodic grace.
