Bruce Paine’s first solo guitar suite, inspired by South Island landscapes — from mountain streams to Lake Rotoiti and native bird song.
Difficulty: Advanced
Purchase: The score is available as an ebook via Lulu Publishing.
Price: US$9.99 (approx. NZ$17.00)
About
New Zealand Suite for Guitar is Bruce Paine’s first composition for solo guitar, written in 2007 as a response to the landscapes of the South Island. Its three movements evoke vivid scenes:
- Mountain Cascade — sparkling streams tumbling near Mount Cook, calming as they reach an alpine lake.
- Rotoiti Twilight — the stillness of evening on the shores of Lake Rotoiti.
- The Forest Awakens — a morning alive with birdsong and stirring wildlife along the “Bell Bird Walk.”
Conceived as an approachable yet musically satisfying concert opener, the suite lasts around eleven minutes. While written in standard tuning and “guitarist-friendly” keys, it still demands fluency and stamina, particularly in the energetic final movement.
Listen to sample clip of the New Zealand Suite
The original version of the NZ Suite appears on Bruce Paine's CD Lateral Lines
