Performed by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in the newly restored Christchurch Town Hall under the very sure baton of conductor and album producer, Kenneth Young, Symphony No. 5 “Childhood” is an optimistic work that uses childhood as a metaphor for renewed hope and optimism for the future.
“Symphony No. 5 "Childhood” was recorded in the Christchurch Town Hall in June 2020, newly restored after the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. I fondly recall attending the opening night of the Town Hall as a 12-year old in 1973, listening to my father, John Ritchie, conduct Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5." – Anthony Ritchie, March 2021