Special Old Boys
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Music Special Artists Business Academic Arts Sport Medical Government Music |
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Derek John Metzger (At King’s High School from 1975 to 1979)
While still in Form 5 at Kings Derek won a talent quest at the Alexander Holiday Camp. This gained him an invitation to sing for a week at the” Expo 77” in Invercargill. He also branched out into other areas of the business in later years – spending over 15 of those years travelling the world as an headline performer on some of the world’s most prestigious Cruise Ships and also guesting/performing on the Global Corporate Entertainment scene. While not actively encouraging those setting out on a career in the industry – it can be a hard path to walk; uncompromising, topsy turvy and uncertain, Derek feels incredibly privileged to have had such a wealth of experience in that industry, both good and bad, and to have met some of the most interesting and engaging people one could ever hope to come across in any profession. No-one should become a performer for any other reason than a passion to express themselves artistically and to want to make a difference in other people’s lives – the entertainment industry gives an individual so many opportunities to give back to society…on so many levels. It may not make you rich, in many cases. But it can fulfil you like no other.
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Peter Vaughan Adams Attended King’s High School from 1972 to 1976)
In 1976 Peter was a member of the King’s High School Orchestra and the First Hockey Eleven. He gained a school Blue in Hockey. At the end of year prize giving, he received a General Excellence Prize in English, Geography, Music and History. He was awarded won the Form 7 Geography Prize. On leaving King’s High School Peter attended the University of Otago. In 1978 he won the Dunedin Musical Society Prize for best music student, in 1979 he won the Charles Begg prize for music at Otago University, and the Philip Neill Memorial prize for composition, an award open to students and graduates of any New Zealand University. He has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra for 1979 and 1980, last year being the principal clarinettist, and was also selected as a singer for the National Youth Choir in1980 and 1981. In Dunedin he has been linked with the Dunedin Youth Orchestra for many years. first as a clarinet player and later as deputy conductor, and he also has been conductor of the Otago Polytechnic Orchestra. He has played clarinet in the Dunedin Civic Orchestra and has been an active soloist or player with many university chamber music groups, and a singer in the Southern Consort of Voices. The activities of the Dunedin Musical Society and the Globe Theatre have also been strongly supported by him over the years. In 1979 the New Zealand Chamber Music Federation gave him travel grants to receive advanced ‘lessons from Keith Spragg, in Christchurch, and the University of Otago assisted him to travel regularly to Wellington for lessons from Mr. Walter Hamer, a member of the New Zealand symphony Orchestra. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in 1981. He demonstrated his musical talent in many areas – playing the clarinet, gaining the LRSM, LTCL and FTCL as well conducting and composing. In 1981 he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to undertake post-graduate study in music a Kings College, London. At King’s College he graduated with a master’s degree in music (MMus (Lond)), specialising in the theory and analysis of music. Peter is a respected conductor, especially recognized for his work with young people in youth orchestras, summer schools, The NZ Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra and the NZ National Youth Brass Band. He has also made many professional appearances in Dunedin conducting the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and St Kilda Brass. For ten years he was musical director of the City Choir Dunedin. Peter is a leading figure in the NZ brass band scene and as well as conducting, he regularly adjudicates at brass band contests and festivals. As a composer, performances of his works can be found on CDs, YouTube and Vimeo, and several works have had score and parts published. Peter has written reviews, programme notes, given pre-concert talks and other community and schools’ presentations. In 1990 Peter started work at the University of Otago as a Junior Lecturer. He has progressed up the ranks over the years and is now Professor of Music and lead course adviser. |
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Riki Nathan Gooch (Attended King’s High School 1989 to 1993) Riki was a School Prefect in 1993. He received a School Blue for Music in his last three years at school and he also received an award for Service to the School for Music and Basketball. He developed drumming skills through participation with the Ansett NZ Kaikorai Brass Band, and honed them by playing with Calder Prescott’s jazz band: while still at school he twice achieved first place at the National Percussion Championships being winner of the Gary Bain Award. After leaving school he worked in retail before studying jazz at the Wellington Conservatory of Music, after which he founded the band “Trinity Roots” with whom he played for seven years. Since then, Riki has worked on a variety of projects, including composing, and producing films for Peter Jackson, and Duncan Sarkies. Riki has played drums for various Films, TV shows, Dance Groups, Theatre and Advertising Campaigns for Nokia. He has also worked with various NZ artists. These artists include Jonathan Crayford, Bic Runga, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi6, Recloose, Crowded House, Electric Wire Hustle, Leila Adu, Lord Echo, Fabulous Arabia, The Phoenix Foundation, The Adults, Vadim, and Adam Page: he believes that “in NZ you have to be versed in different things to survive.” He has been living in Wellington for the past 20 years. Recently Riki was invited by music producer Mike Gibson to help celebrate the career of Pixie Williams, who as an unknown 21-year-old had sung Ruru Karaitiana’s song “Blue Smoke”. Ruru had composed the song in 1940 after a friend drew his attention to some passing smoke while on the troop ship Aquitania, off the coast of Africa. Mike Gibson invited Riki to help make the tribute album. Since then, the project has morphed into an explanatory stage show “The New Blue” in which he plays the drums. Riki has recently completed a master’s degree, and plans to embark on PhD studies |
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Trevor Alexander Coleman (At King’s High School from 1973 to 1975)
Tre
A couple of years away from turning 60, Coleman is about to depart Dunedin for Seville, Spain, where, in an attempt to placate his seemingly inexhaustible musical curiosity, he will explore new avenues. AWARDS: 2007 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Finalist Best Original Music Score, Equator: Challenge of Change Emmy Award Nomination for best Music and Sound 2007: Equator: Rivers of the Sun Emmy Award Nominations for best Music and Sound 2006: Equator: Power if an Ocean, Buggin with Ruud: Madagaskar |
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David Alan Craig [Craig] Scott (At Kings High School from 1963 to 1966) Craig Scott is a New Zealand pop singer who had several commercially successful singles in the 1970s. Scott is a former bank clerk from Dunedin who started his music career in the late 1960s, singing with the local Dunedin band Klap. In 1968 Scott joined the band The Fantasy which shortly thereafter moved from Dunedin to Christchurch. For some time Craig Scott and The Fantasy were the resident group at “The Scene” dance hall/nightclub at 224 Tuam St Christchurch. Scott then joined the band Revival which won a Battle of the Bands contest in May 1969. Winning the contest brought the band to the attention of HMV records and they were invited to Wellington to record a single, Viva Bobby Joe, which peaked at #14 on the national singles chart. In April 1970 Scott was offered a solo career and left Revival, which subsequently broke up. He was given a starring role in the television music series Happen Inn, which brought him national attention. He released a series of commercially successful singles beginning with a cover version of Neil Sedaka’s Star Crossed Lovers which was his only number one single. Other singles included Let’s Get A Little Sentimental; Smiley (a cover of Australian pop star Ronnie Burns’s hit); Ciao Baby (1971) which was previously covered by Lynne Randell for a top ten hit in Australia (1967); and When Jojo Runs. In 1974 Happen Inn was cancelled and Scott began to lose popularity. Around 1975, his last single to be successful was Wind and Rain, peaking at #11 on the New Zealand pop chart. For some time in the late 60’s Craig Scott and The Fantasy were the resident group at “The Scene” dance hall/ nightclub at 224 Tuam St Christchurch, the building was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake. The Scene is best described as a “teeny bopper” venue, which operated Friday Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Craig and the group were very popular. Ten o’clock closing of hotels caused the venue to close about 1970. Scott retired from performing in the late 1970s, saying “I couldn’t see myself doing that for the next 20 years”. He became a music promoter. He then started New Zealand’s first video rental business before managing Warner Brothers Video New Zealand for 15 years. Around the year 2000 Scott and his wife moved back to Dunedin. They got into the property business, renovating houses. In the late 2000s they moved to the small Central Otago town of Arrowtown, becoming real estate agents there
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The In-betweens
The In-Betweens were originally formed in Dunedin in 1967 with the above line-up. At that stage they were all schoolboys aged between 13 and 15. They were managed by the Rabbett brothers’ mother and achieved some national recognition before any of them had left school. In January 1968 they entered the Battle Of The Sounds competition, winning their regional final. They traveled to Wellington for the national finals and up against stiff competition, secured second placing behind the Fourmyula. As a result of this success, Mrs Rabbett continued pushing the group and by 1970 they were one of the top bands in the South Island. Rob Guest joined the band in 1970 and that year they won the Battle of the Bands. The band’s cover of ‘Boom-Sha-La-La-Lo’ was a finalist in the Loxene Golden Disc Awards in 1970. Later the band moved to Sydney and then in 1975 re-formed in Auckland with a changed line-up, comprising Tony Rabbett, Dave Bailey, Len Worthington, Neville McCarthy, and Chris McCarthy. The band split up in 1979. |
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Tomuri Spicer (Attended King’s High School from 2016 to 2020)
King’s Old Boy Tomuri Spicer is one of a quartet of musicians have been awarded the University of Otago’s Six60 Scholarships for 2023, and will flat together in the prominent New Zealand band’s old student flat at 660 Castle St. The scholarships include a $10,000 rent rebate, as well as mentoring from the band and access to the University’s recording studios. Tomuri, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, is working towards his bachelor of arts (archaeology, Māori studies and ethnomusicology) and said he was also ecstatic to have been selected. It means I have an opportunity to grow in performance and music. “It’s something that I can reflect on positively — I got this scholarship which means I was a good enough songwriter and performer to be recognised by the university and Six60 Deputy. Tomuri says he is looking forward to getting to know his new flatmates and “learning their stories” too. Six60 band member Marlon Gerbes says this year’s applicants had no shortage of talent. “It was awesome to see and hear the new scholarship students for next year. A lot of talent and passion in all the students. It was tough to pick the final four but we got there and can’t wait for the next evolution of the scholarship.” Vice-Chancellor (King’s Old Boy) Professor Tony Ballantyne says the intake were part of an exceptionally talented group of candidates. He congratulates these “four amazing young people” on their success. “The outstanding four students who have been selected are really gifted and have very bright futures ahead of them. I am sure that they will represent both the University and Six60 with pride, and we look forward to following their journey over the next year and beyond.” This achievement is also another in a long line of achievements in Tomuri’s short career: He was a finalist in the Lion Foundation Songwriting Competition in both 2019 and 2020. We are very proud of Tomuri’s achievements and it is fantastic to see his talent and hard work acknowledged like this. While at King’s Tomuri was granted a Mana Pounamu Award. The award celebrates the success of Māori students across Otago. His award was in the Tuakana (senior) Section, recognising his leadership at King’s High School in the role of Prefect, his success in the ‘Play it Strange’ and ‘Hook, Line and Singalong’ song writing competitions, his passion for and commitment to He Waka Kōtuia and his considerable academic achievements. Tomuri also received the Otago Daily Times Special Award for Excellence in English. His awards come with scholarships for Otago University and Otago Polytechnic. He was also awarded the Tama Tu Tama Ora Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to Cultural Leadership. He was a King’s Rockquest entrant, a member of the Acafellas Choir and a Stuart House Leader. In 2019 he took a lead role in the school’s production of the musical Spamalot. Tomuri received a King’s High school cultural Blue in 2019 for Song writing and in 2020 a Performance Blue for Songwriting, Choir and, Kapa Haka
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vor Coleman was born 1959 in Dunedin, New Zealand where he studied piano, trumpet and composition from an early age. He was selected for principal trumpet in the National Youth Orchestra, solo cornet in the National Youth Brass Band, as pianist for the National Youth Jazz Big Band and was actively engaged in the jazz, rock and experimental music scenes of Dunedin and Wellington during the 1970s and early 80s. After receiving a Bachelor of Music from Otago University he was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, where, alongside studies in jazz piano and composition, he completed a Diploma majoring in Film Scoring. On returning to New Zealand in 1982 he began his career in Film Music with Wild South, later known as NHNZ. From 1985-2000 he was based in Germany, composing and performing jazz throughout Europe with the Trevor Coleman Group and various ensembles. From 1992-2000 he was engaged as resident composer, musical director and performer for the Choreographisches Theater (dance-theatre) in Freiburg and Bonn, composing 11 major works. Relocating to Dunedin in 2000, he worked for 13 years composing film music worldwide, receiving 3 Emmy nominations for his documentary scores, and has continued performing, composing and recording jazz, world and contemporary classical music, including the 60 minute symphonic work ‘Equator’. From 2013 he undertook a Doctorate in Musical Arts focusing on his compositional work with Polycycles, graduating in 2016. He is presently promoting his Polycyclic Trilogy and concepts in New Zealand and Europe
