Tauranga singing event to celebrate 'A Kiwi Christmas' and support foodbank

Event organiser John Wanhill said the singing event would be "extremely funny". Photo / George Novak

Tauranga residents can both deck the halls and take a walk down memory lane at an upbeat Christmas singing charity event this weekend.

The Holy Trinity Church is hosting "A Kiwi Christmas" on Saturday night, a choir sing-along event that aims to celebrate the history of Christmas in the Bay of Plenty and beyond.

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All proceeds will go towards the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko.

Veteran broadcaster Tom Bradley, who was creator and co-host of the show, said Christmas had fallen during a number of historical events throughout the years, including two World Wars and the Great Depression.

Veteran broadcaster Tom Bradley created and co-hosted the show. Photo / Supplied

"But people kept going through all that and thought, 'well, we can't have an extravagant Christmas but we can do the best to celebrate and enjoy the festive season'.

"It will be a lot of fun and we'll have lots of laughs too. It's fun to look back at how people celebrated in the 1800s."

Bradley had done his research. He had trawled through old newspaper articles, got images from the National Library and "pulled sources from all over the place".

Event organiser John Wanhill said the singing event would feature a running commentary and images projected onto a screen that showed pictures of Christmas in the Bay throughout the years.

"The point of the show is to have audiences say, 'oh gosh, I remember that,' or 'did that really happen,'" he said. "We're going to fling around trivia about the Bay and Tom has dug up some really interesting information.

"It's a typical Christmas sing-a-long and it will be extremely funny."

He said the fundraiser was a way for the church to give back and "do good in the community".

A Kiwi Christmas
Co-hosted by Tom Bradley, Jolene James and Mark Eagle, with Elizabeth Prive and The Kiwi Christmas Singers
Saturday, 7pm to 9pm
Holy Trinity Tauranga Church, 215 Devonport Rd
Tickets - $25
Book online from eventspronto.co.nz/kiwichristmas
or email HTTEvents@holytrinitytauranga.com

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