A January concert

To begin the year’s programme of music there is to be a short concert in the town of Hokitika, south of Greymouth, at the end of January.

The concert is a duo of works, Songs of Travel by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sings Harry by Douglas Lilburn. The latter, a New Zealander, studied composition under Vaughan-Williams in London, with the result that the two works have similar themes and fit together well in a programme. There are to be piano pieces too, and a few New Zealand poems.

The concert will be held in a beautiful building in the centre of town. The Renton Hardware Building was saved from demolition a few years ago by a small but dedicated team who have restored and preserved the interior of the two-storied store. The event will be held upstairs in the space and is kindly hosted by the owners and caretakers of the building and its complex of sheds and storage areas.

This event is free to attend and guests are asked to bring along some food and drink to have while the performance is on, but there is limited space so bookings are requested by email ([email protected]), by telephone (0224 058 526) or by sending a comment to this article on the blog.