St Andrew’s Centre Newsletter Spring 2017

Kia ora

Welcome to the Spring newsletter from the St Andrew’s Centre. It’s been lovely having some warmer weather in the last few weeks, despite the wind. There have been a few changes around St Andrew’s recently as we welcome new staff and farewell Karyn. Read on to find out more about Centre changes, Christmas hours and the latest news.

Laetitia and the team.

Construction next door – finishing touches.

Construction on the NZ Medical Association building next door to the Centre is mostly complete now. You may have noticed that the scaffolding has come down and our laneway is back to normal. It’s been lovely to have many people comment on how wide and bright the pathway looks now. The new building is looking good as well.

Farewell to Karyn

We are sorry to be losing Karyn Bishop our Office Administrator, who we farewelled last Friday. Karyn had been at St Andrew’s since February 2015 and has been a familiar face for many. She has been a great member of the team with her quiet professionalism and efficiency. I’ll miss her support but am pleased to be welcoming Hilary and Jillene to the team.

Welcome to Hilary and Jillene

Hilary Penwarden                               Jillene Everett

Hilary has taken on the Centre Assistant role. She will be working part time helping with managing bookings and a variety of other tasks. Jillene is helping cover Karyn’s role while we look for a permanent Office Administrator.

Christmas hours and 2018 bookings.

With only 45 days until Christmas it is time to start thinking about the Christmas holidays and 2018. The last day the Centre will be open is 22 December, and we will open again on 8 January.

We are starting to get a lot of inquiries for 2018 bookings, and some months are already starting to fill up. Make sure you get in touch if you have dates that you want booked.

Our room hire will also be increasing slightly from 1 February 2018. This will be the first increase in three years. View the new rates here http://www.standrewscentre.nz/2018-room-hire-rates/. Bookings made by 22 December will be charged at the current rates. So, another reason to make your bookings soon.

Events and concerts at St Andrew’s

 

We have plenty of upcoming concerts and events over the next couple of months which we would love you to join us for.

Every Wednesday at 12.15pm

St Andrew’s hosts a free lunchtime concert. We are so lucky to have so many share their gift of music with us.

19 November

Students and Staff of the Wieck Piano Academy of Newlands will perform a free public recital.  Prizes will be awarded for outstanding student performances. 2.30pm start

25 November – The Glamaphones

The Glamaphones’ concert celebrates the musical heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. The Glamaphones, Wellington’s rainbow choir, will be bringing it home this November with their Homegrown Aotearoa concert of Kiwi music.

The choir will premiere its programme of New Zealand classics, weaving together the traditional with the modern. Māori waiata form the foundation of the concert, craftily woven together by musical director Rachel Hyde with a line-up of iconic Kiwi pop. The journey takes us through the decades, with contributions from 1970s Split Enz, 1980s Crowded House (“Don’t Dream it’s Over”), 1990s Mutton Birds, and a modern classic from Hollie Smith.

“These songs have a distinctly Kiwi feel that we can all identify with; they provide a common experience that reminds us of how lucky we are to be a part of this progressive, compassionate and multi-cultural democracy,” says Rachel Hyde.

Tickets are available from choir members and eventfinda.co.nz. The choir will continue its tradition of serving refreshments and supper at the end of the concert.

Contact Details

Pat McIntosh – Creative Producer

021 2776244

dgare360@gmail.com

1 December – A Soprani Christmas

Soprani will add their own magic to well-known and lesser known songs including Bach/Gounod’s Ave Maria, O holy night, Wexford Carol and Rutter’s Angel’s Carol. Soprani will be joined by a children’s choir consisting of bright young singers from Rata Studios School of Music.

Soprani are delighted to be collaborating with pianist Thomas Nikora. Thomas recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the New Zealand School of Music under Jian Liu. He conducts Cantoris and has performed with orchestras around NZ and in the USA.

Soprani look forward to sharing some of their favourite Christmas songs and bringing them into 2017 with style!

10 December – Wellington Chamber Orchestra

Ewan Clark conducts the orchestra, along with trombone soloist – Dave Bremner, NZSO principal. The orchestra is led by Paula Carryer, with a programme of:

Lilburn – Suite for Orchestra

Tomasi – Trombone Concerto

Sibelius – Symphony No 2

Tickets are available online https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2017/wellington-chamber-orchestra-sunday-concert4/wellington  or at the door (cash only).

19th December

Counsel in Concert will be performing its annual charity concert raising funds for the Child Cancer Foundation on Tuesday 19 December. Performances are at 12.15 and 5.30 at St Andrew’s on the Terrace. Entry by donation. All proceeds go to the Child Cancer Foundation.

Counsel in Concert is a lawyers’ choir based at Crown Law. The choir has been running since 2009 and includes lawyers from throughout the Wellington region. For its end of year concert, the choir is joined by an orchestra including many lawyers, augmented by players from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington. Owen Clarke will be conducting the performance.

The theme this year is a celebration of musical anniversaries.  The varied and entertaining programme includes works by Gershwin, Telemann, Monteverdi, Haydn and the Beatles.

Sunday 21 January – The St Olaf Band

The ensemble will present a widely varied programme of primarily American music, with a focus on the centennial celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the music of John Williams, and classic works from the wind band repertoire. Works featuring soloists and a good march or two will also be presented, along with Mahr’s own award-winning composition, The Soaring Hawk.

The St. Olaf Band is the oldest music organisation at St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, a campus internationally renowned for its high calibre of musical ensembles as well as high marks in mathematics and the sciences. The band has toured nationally since 1904 and internationally since 1906, when they performed a four-week, 30-concert tour of Norway, making them the first American collegiate band to tour Europe. The band has subsequently toured several times in Norway, Great Britain, Japan, central Europe, the Mediterranean, and Mexico.

Dubbed “one of America’s preeminent bands” by The New Yorker, the St Olaf Band, founded in 1891, is an ensemble noted for superb musicianship. Under the leadership of conductor Dr Timothy Mahr, the St Olaf Band performs the very best compositions and transcriptions for symphonic band, producing an exciting, crowd-pleasing style.

More information and ticket sales at: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2018/the-st-olaf-band/wellington