Commissioned for Auckland Philharmonia’s Community Classics: Beyond the Stars, 'when you and I collide' is a bold orchestral mash-up of three iconic Kiwi pop songs — ‘Sway’ by Bic Runga, ‘April Sun in Cuba’ by Dragon, and ‘Wandering Eye’ by Fat Freddy’s Drop. Composer Lucy Mulgan brings a fresh, unexpected twist to these classics, blending them into one continuous narrative full of shifting perspectives, emotional turns, and surprising orchestral textures. We spoke with the composer about what audiences can expect from this love letter to Aotearoa’s pop heritage.
What was your starting point for this piece — the songs themselves, or the idea of telling a new story through them?
Lucy Mulgan I started with the songs - taking time to listen and explore the lyrics. From there I thought about how I could add a new narrative to this awesome combination.
These are big, beloved Kiwi tunes. Was it daunting to pull them apart and rework them in such a bold way?
LM Oh yes - very daunting and also super exciting. With any arranging it is such fun to deconstruct and think about the essence of the storytelling and to ask yourself what new ideas can I bring to this? And when working with such classic material - you have to honour the craft of the original too.
You’ve created a full narrative arc across three separate songs — how did you decide on the emotional journey for the characters?
LM I wanted to ensure when you and I collide feels like one piece that travels through the songs, rather than a stop/start bit-of-this, bit-of-that collage. So, I spent some time just with the words, thinking about how I could create a cohesive narrative.
What’s your favourite part about arranging a pop song with just a few instruments into a piece for a 75-piece orchestra?
LM Orchestrating is the really fun bit! Getting to play with different colours and sounds of the orchestra to enhance the changing moods of the piece is very exciting. I am also aware of the players’ experience and I always aim to create something fun for the orchestra. Plus, for this piece it means I get a 75-piece backing choir built in to the performance!
Will there be the opportunity for audience interaction in this piece? How do you feel about audience members joining in with a concert performance?
LM YES! There is definitely a moment for the audience to sing along. A lot of my work encompasses audience and community participation often through collaboration.
What do you hope audiences will feel walking out of this performance — especially those who know and love these songs already?
LM There are such strong earworms in these classics, so everyone will probably be humming and singing the melodies. I hope the audience get to enjoy these songs all over again in a new way.
