Robert Berold will be giving a reading set to the acoustic guitar music of Larry Strelitz at 1pm on Thursday 4 July at St Peter’s Building as part of the Live Writing series.
Robert Berold will be giving a reading set to the acoustic guitar music of Larry Strelitz at 1pm on Thursday 4 July at St Peter’s Building as part of the Live Writing series.
Robert Berold and Larry Strelitz both have day jobs.
Larry is head of the Rhodes School Journalism and Media Studies. Robert is one of South Africa’s best known poets and the head of the Rhodes Creative Writing MA programme.
However, Larry is also a renowned musician and leader of the local band Sunship.
The two met in Grahmstown in the early eighties, liked each other’s work and started to create songs together.
Initially, Larry set Robert’s existing poems to music but since then Robert has written material specifically to be used as lyrics or to a piece from Larry.
“I never get tired of listening to these songs even though I’ve been hearing them for thirty years," Berold explains.
"I’m musical and there’s music in my poetry anyway, but Larry’s interpretation brings another dimension to the words.”
Larry finds inspiration in Robert’s work.
“Robert’s poems affected me immediately and gave me very rich, melodic ideas.”
Berold admits to being a frustrated muso and plays the double bass. He still hopes to be allowed into Larry's band.
Larry Strelitz and Robert Berold will be performing at 1pm on Thursday 4 July at St Peter’s Building (next to the Nun’s Chapel) as part of the Live Writing series.
