Recollections and reminiscences

10/3/2010

Wilf Simenaur (1943-46) is quite envious of present-day boys at Otago Boys’, considering them to be “very lucky they are to be born in an era where so many activities are available to them”.

What brought on this rush of blood to my head, he asks? He writes to explain:

Well, a few weeks ago afew of us tramped past the OBHS huts up onthe Matukituki River, onour way to Pearl flat at the foot of Mt. Aspiring. Nothing likethose OBHS hutswere availablewhen I was at school. (At 81 years of age Idid not contemplate dragging myself up to Cascade Saddleagain, but my wife and I recently did walk across England, from Arnside, to Salt-burn-by-the-Sea.)

Wilf Simenauer in1966 with the New Zealand Symphonic Orchestra

On our recent trip to Wanaka,I dragged myself and Gloria up to Mt Roy above Wanaka. I wasmad enough to'do' Mt Royfor a fifth time. Now-a-days there is a 4-wheel-drive trackupto the top (to reach a TV mast), but when I was a kid, there was no track there whatsoever, and my brother Frank (1941-42) and I, after bashing through masses of bracken, finally made it to the top.

Furthermore, at Christmas of 1945,the late John Matheson (1941-45 – a quite brilliant musician and conductor. Ed), and I, on metal roads, cycledwith single-geared bikes, from Dunedin to Lake Wakatipu, thenacross the Crown Range (where we slept in the rain!) to Wanaka,up the Lindis Pass, then past Lake Ohau andacross the McKenzie Country (pushing our bikes all day, against a 'norwester'), past Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo, down Burkes Pass (in that samenorwesterly gale) , slept rough again, at Fairlie, and finally, travelled back to Dunedin.

While at Wanaka, we met our OBHS Headmaster Percy Kidson, who wasliving in a tent on the shores of the lake, hefting rocks (with the help of his daughter) up onto the then, totally empty road. Those rocks he intendedfor his Wanaka house (which was built by a stone-mason from Cromwell). This wonderful house still stands there, today. Kidson was a wonderful, expert naturalist who kept his Wanaka garden 'as is' - ie, totally natural -with all the native flaura undisturbed.

When at Coal-creek(now Benmore), we got a lift on a NZR Bus, 'driven'- more like 'flown' -by an ex-fighter pilot from the war. He threw that bus up and down those hairy ridges and gullies (above the Clutha), all the way to Alexandra. We got a real adrenalin 'buzz' out of it,but at the same time, feared for our lives.

On that trip, the metal roads were so rough, thatmy bike lost 7 of its spokes, (replaced in Cromwell) - a sprocket-axlebroke near Wanaka, (a wrong-sizedsprocket-axlewas sent up from Dunedin, but as we were short of time, was 'sledge-hammered in' (never to be un-screwed again) by a giant-of-a-man at the Wanaka garage - and finally, the back-break's cable'snapped'at Omarama, and was soldered-together by a farmer.Butnow, the shortened-cable had to be manually un-done for ridingon the flat - and then re-joined, for going down-hill! Oh for a 20-gear bike!!

So there you have it. Every age has its advantages,but those boys who go up the Matukituki, they have it made!

(Having fled from Nazi Germany to New Zealand, school days weren’t always the happiest for Wilf and his brother Frank with many boys of the era more than a little insensitive. However, he says his own classmates eventually came to understand the difference between a Nazi and a refugee.

Wilf made the First XV and was also a very fine musician, which led to his father withdrawing him from the team to ‘protect his hands’. And it was music which became Wilf’s greatest love.

Having traveled to Britiain, Wilf joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra where he was sub-Principal cellist from 1950 to 1953. He played as Principal cellist for Sadler’s Wells Opera & Ballet Orchestra from 1953 to ’55, while also deputising for the BBC’s Symphony Orchestra, the BBC’s Concert Orchestra and with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Wilf then went on to play for the Philharmonia Orchestra (1955-57); the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1957-60); the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Ensemble, where he was a Founder member and co-Principal cellist in 1959; and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Principal cellist) from 1960 to ’64. Upon returning to New Zealand, he was the Principal cellist for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to ’70; and the co-Principal cellist (1971-93). He also played as Principal cellist for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1970.

He has also been a regular soloist with the BBC, ABC and Radio NZ, and the New Zealand Chamber Music Federation, along with playing concertos in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Wilf was the solo cellist on the NZSO’s tour of Australia in 1974 with Kiri te Kanawa and Michael Houston.

Inn recent years Wilf has visited England to see his newly born first grandchild, Tara, and was invited by his Kiwi tramping friends to join them on the "Alternative Coast-to-CoastWalk", from Arnside in the West (just below the Lake District) to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, just north of Whitby. The group covered the 184 kilometre trek in nine days.

During the visit Wilf celebrated his 79th birthday with what he describes as the best fish and chips on the planet - Haddock, at Whitby.

After returning home Wilf completed the Tongoriro Crossing, starting at Mangatepopo, reporting that he survived - just!)