Category: Music

  • Paradise Road

    On the 27th April 1994, the first democratic elections in South Africa were held, ultimately leading to Nelson Mandela becoming President. It was a time of hope and positive change was in the air. There was jubilation and joy, and community, much celebrated around the world. Music had supported and helped to lead the way…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    Each week a Spotify list is curated to go along with the blog. Each piece on the list is relevant to the blog entries, with a mix of old and new music and sound from across the globe. Those with a Spotify subscription will be able to listen to the entire playlist without interruption, those…

  • An ancient Chinese scroll animated

    This week the next in the series of Conversation and Cloth talks took place in the Regent Theatre in Māwhera Greymouth. This time the theme was Art and Artists and clothes, costumes, fabrics and decorative items were all part of the show-and-tell. There were books to go along with the talk too. The series focuses…

  • Abdoulaye Konaté

    Abdoulaye Konaté is an artist from Mali who uses textiles to comment on politics and environment. In his large-scale works the artist stitches cloths together to create colourful and powerful pieces that reflect Mali’s rich heritage and culture of cloth and music, as in this show, Symphonie en couleur, held in London in 2022.

  • Murals at Pompeii

    Nearly 2000 years ago, the Italian city of Pompeii was obliterated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The blast covered the settlement with ash and pumice that preserved, sometimes in remarkable detail, the details of everyday life in this Roman city. Over decades the site has been the focus of archaeology with astonishing finds showing…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    Each blog is accompanied by a Spotify playlist, a curated selection of audio that relates in some way to the blog and, occasionally, to current events, such as this week’s eclipse. Paid subscribers to Spotify will hear all the songs in the playlist on the player above or in your own app while free subscriptions…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    Each week the blog is accompanied by a playlist on Spotify. You can hear the playlist on the player above or search for any of them within the app by the title “Music to read a blog by”. Paying subscribers to Spotify will hear an uninterrupted playlist, those with a free subscription will have advertising…

  • The blog this week

    Hello dear readers, We have had a family bereavement and a funeral this week so I have decided not to write a blog. I am sorry because I love writing the entries and sending it out to you all but the blog will be back next week. This Spotify playlist is for peaceful contemporary music.…

  • Puhihuia

    Puhihuia

    The story of Puhihuia and Te Ponga is a 17th Century Māori love story. Mt. Eden, in days long gone by, was called Maungawhau and was the fortified stronghold of a very large tribe. Te Ponga came from Awhitu to visit the Maungawhau Chieftain. Te Ponga was a handsome young warrior and while we was…

  • This week’s Spotify playlist

    Each week the blog is accompanied by a Spotify playlist, a curation of music and sound that reflects the articles in the newsletter. To preview the playlist, click on the play button on the player above. For those with a subscription you can click on the Spotify logo in the top right-hand corner of the…