My guitar & voice performances have taken me everywhere from St James Palace in London to a sheep shed in the outback of Australia. From festivals to high-security private functions, and everything in between, the guitar is portable, accessible, and beautiful.
Previous Seasons
I became interested in the idea of Guitar & Voice Recitals in the 90s; this interest led to a tour with Chamber Music New Zealand using my Paul Fischer Classical Guitar. It was a very popular tour; I performed from Invercargill to Kaitaia.
Other performances with the Paul Fischer included St. James Palace (London, UK), La Motte Wine Estate (Franschhoek, South Africa) and in a sheep shed in remote Western Australia. There are actually too many performances to recall; the combination is portable, cost effective and beautiful. However, the Paul Fischer guitar is large and meant that I was seated.
In 2015, I commissioned Dr. Suzanne Court to make a replica of a Romantic Parlour Guitar. A Parlour Guitar is smaller; I can now stand and move while I sing.
During the pandemic, I worked with the legendary Richard Loring (South Africa) to create a new programme, spanning a wider range of material including Opera, Jazz and Pop. This new programme, called ‘A Few of My Favourite Things’, debuted at Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate (Franschhoek, South Africa) during the pandemic.
I performed ‘A Few of My Favourite Things’ in the Great Hall Concert Series 2021 in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand.
In 2022, I introduced new material and renamed the new programme ‘Serenades’ for the Auckland Arts Festival 2022 (my three booked shows were cancelled due to the Auckland Lockdown during the Pandemic).
My next performance of Guitar & Voice is in Futuna Chapel, Wellington, on April 7th, 2024. For this performance, I am including more classical music in order to meet the audience’s musical interests. An example is the inclusion of Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’, sung in Latin.
Romantic Guitar made by Luthier Dr. Suzanne Court in 2015
Shakespeare in the Park, The Langlands Hotel, Murihiku Invercargill, Aotearoa New Zealand on January 26th, 2024. Photos by Anita Hayman.
‘A Few of My Favourite Things’ , 10 January 2021, Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate, Franschhoek, South Africa
Repertoire examples
The guitar has been used to accompany the voice for centuries; there are thousands of songs available of high quality. Here are examples of songs currently in my repertoire:
- Songs from the 19th Century with authentic guitar accompaniments, including Sei Ariette by Mauro Giuliani, Chanson (Charles Gounod, Folksong, Martini), English Song (Thomas Moore, Sir. Henry Bishop), Lied (Schubert), Scottish (Logie of Buchan) and Italian/Spanish (Manuel Garcia).
- Sings Harry by Douglas Lilburn (New Zealand) for Voice and Guitar .
- Folk Song, including popular Māori songs and arrangements by Benjamin Britten (sung classically)
- Popular song, including New Zealand Medley (my own arrangement of Dave Dobbyn, Neil Finn, Bic Runga and Dragon), Sound of Music Medley (arr. Kapohe), Summertime, Come Away With Me (Norah Jones) and songs by Joni Mitchel (River, Case of You and Big Yellow Taxi).My songs, including the ability to compose and/or arrange for the occasion (an example is Borderless written for the late Richard Nunns and recorded by Radio New Zealand, The Changing Tides written for the opening of the temporary Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui and an arrangement of Grace in English and Te Reo for The Duke of Edinburgh World Fellows at Buckingham Palace, 2015).
Informal photographs of a selection of my guitars
Some performances can be very formal (St.James Palace, London) and others relaxed (Opunake). Here is a blooper taken over ten years ago in Opunake when I played for a community fundraiser…
Nevertheless, despite the page turning incident, they gave me this review: ‘We were graced with a performance by opera singer Deborah Wai Kapohe from Wanganui, who accompanied herself on the classical guitar. She filled the hall with her powerful, melodic voice, and delighted us with her pleasant personality’
Opunake Coastal News, 2012.
Deborah Wai Kapohe 