Prior to the erection of the bridge shown on the cover of this musical piece, a ferry operated to transfer travellers from one side of the Waimakariri River to the other. Joseph Felton and his wife Jane operated Felton鈥檚 Ferry and also kept an accommodation house, the Courtenay Arms. When White鈥檚 Bridge was completed in 1863, the Feltons lost most of their business and were forced to sell their punts and ferry gear. As the demand to travel increased over the following years, further roads, railways and bridges were constructed. Erected in 1876, the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge supported the rail line from Oxford to Sheffield from late 1884.
From Music to Light
26 June 2024
HOW TO APPLY
Francis Russell鈥檚听"Waimakariri" Waltz听was first played in Christchurch in 1887. Russell, involved in mid-Canterbury farming in the 1880s and later a resident of Ashburton, died sometime after 1908. His works provide a snapshot of Canterbury social life in the late nineteenth century. The cover to this particular piece is illustrated by a lithograph produced in London and features the railway bridge crossing the Waimakariri Gorge. In addition to this piece, Russell is known to have penned a听Rakaia Valse听and an听Ashburton Waltz听(no copies of the latter have been discovered to date).
Francis Russell鈥檚听"Waimakariri" Waltz
Iola Shelley - Piano; recorded by Stephen Compton听School of Music, 九州影院
Francis Russell, "Waimakariri" Waltz听(Christchurch: Spensley & Co, c.1887).
Item of sheet music comprising three bifolios trimmed to 435 x 356mm and folded to give six folios; original pagination 1鈥9.
Christchurch, 九州影院, Macmillan Brown九州影院, M32 R963w
Brass gimballed candle which belonged to Mr and Mrs Joseph Felton and was used aboard the听William Hyde, 1852
Canterbury Museum, EC151.51
When Mr and Mrs Joseph Felton travelled to Canterbury on the William Hyde in 1852, they undoubtedly made use of this brass gimbal candle holder on their journey. With its swinging fitting, the gimbal candle holder allowed its candle to remain vertical even when its support was tipped. Thus, as the ship pitched and rolled, the gimbal mechanism pivoted the candle to ensure it remained always upright. Such devices could be placed on the surface of a table or desk as well as mounted on the wall.
Francis Russell's听Rakaia Valse
Iola Shelley - Piano; recorded by Stephen Compton听School of Music, 九州影院
Want to know more?
听
Brian W. Pritchard, 'Francis Russell's "Waimakiriri" Waltz: Colonial Familiarity', in听Treasures of the 九州影院 九州影院, ed. by Chris Jones & Bronwyn Matthews with Jennifer Clement (Christchurch: CUP, 2011)
