The Aroha String Quartet - Robert Ibell, Haihong Liu, Anne Loeser, Rachel Vernon and Zhongxian Jin.
Rare chance to hear Quintet live
A rare opportunity has cropped up to hear the Aroha String Quartet with Rachel Vernon on clarinet live at Kerikeri's Turner Centre on April 20.
They will be presenting Mozart's Quintet in A major for clarinet and String Quartet K 581, Brahms' Quintet in B minor for clarinet and string quartet Op 115, and Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion, arranged for clarinet and string quartet.
It was Mozart's love of the clarinet that was fundamental in establishing the instrument as a member of the orchestra's woodwind section. As for Brahms, in 1890 he was aged 57 and announced his retirement from composition - but on a visit to Meiningen that year, he heard clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld and was inspired to return to composing.
Oblivion by Piazzolla was composed for the Marco Bellocchio film Enrico IV, before making its way to the concert platform.
Rachel Vernon (clarinet) has held the position of principal bass clarinet in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) since 1995. She has recorded for Radio New Zealand and Re-Sounz and has performed as a soloist with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra and the Manawatu Sinfonia.
Haihong Liu, first violin, is a graduate of the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music and is first violinist with the NZSO. Cellist Robert Ibell lived in London studying cello and played music at schools and in master classes. He is now a freelance performer and a member of the Aroha Quartet.
Zhongxian Jin, violinist, was a violin professor for 16 years at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China, before moving to NZ in 2001. He has been a violinist with the Aroha String Quartet since its inception in 2004. Anne Loeser (second violin) studied violin at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, and joined the first violin section of the NZSO in 2000.
Comedy showcase in Kerikeri
A two-hour long comedy show at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri proves that comedy in New Zealand isn't just for major cities.
Hosting the night is Michele A'Court, who is one of the country's comedy powerhouses. She has performed in Las Vegas, Edinburgh and Vancouver and was winner of the Female Comedian of the Decade at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards in 2010.
Joining her is Jeremy Elwood, best known as a regular panellist on TV3's 7 Days and Radio New Zealand's The Panel. He is a Canadian native who has headlined comedy clubs in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, America and Canada.
Alongside those two is newcomer Ryan McGhee, a Glaswegian like the Big Yin himself, Billy Connolly. He moved to New Zealand a few years ago and is already proving himself as a comedy force.
Also in the lineup is Tongan Māori comedian Opeti Vaka from South Auckland. He won the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest in 2019.
Rounding out the performers is actor turned comedian Sera Devcich who has appeared on TV3's The Project and 7 Days and has appeared at a sold-out NZ Comedy Fest show. The show is on May 20 at 8pm. For info go to www.turnercentre.co.nz.
Construction begins on new Kāeo bridge
Construction of a new two-lane bridge and roundabout on SH10 north of Kāeo is now underway.
Waka Kotahi contractors are building a temporary road and embankment which is due to open this month. It will provide drivers with an alternative route through the site while work on the roundabout is underway. Traffic management will be in place, so drivers may experience delays.
The new bridge and roundabout will transform the intersection, making travel north of Kāeo safer. Last month, work began on foundations for the new two-lane bridge, currently under construction north of the existing one-lane bridge.
Geotech engineers are monitoring the area for movement. Once movement has stopped, Waka Kotahi says preparations for the new road will begin.
Restoring valuable wetlands
The Echoing Wetlands (Te Papa Paorooro) is the latest project to receive Jobs for Nature funding. $3 million is being invested to support locals in their efforts to reverse a marked decline in the ecology of four streams in the Bay of Islands.
The project is being led by Nga Tangariki o Ngāti Hine Charitable Trust and will employ up to 11 people. They will undertake planting, remove pest weeds and eradicate predators along the Waiomo, Waiharakeke, Otira and Whanga awa which flow from the central wetland restoration area.
"The restoration of this catchment will not only enhance the biodiversity of threatened indigenous species, such as tete/grey teal, and their habitats, it also enables workers to take on kaitiaki responsibilities and actively care for the environment," said Conservation Minister Kiri Allen.
According to Allen, the project is part of a long-term plan to generate new tourism opportunities, restore biodiversity and support community wellbeing.
Pita Tipene of Ngāti Hine said local people were really keen to work in rejuvenating the river, with this section being the confluence of the Taumarere river catchment. "It is significant that Ngāti Hine are working in partnership with government to improve the environment while providing much-needed jobs, given that Waitangi is at the mouth of the river," he said.
Village Arts exhibition opening on Saturday
The Village Arts Gallery in Kohukohu is opening an exhibition this Saturday called Pastel Remnants.
The exhibitors are three Kerikeri artists and although their approach differs, the common thread is, according to curator Sally Hollis McLeod, a double entendre: situation, a strength one layer beneath the gentle façade.
Alison Fausett has been exhibiting seriously since 2003 and her new works form part of a series titled Domestic Science. The small crosses she has painted are influenced by the wind and water in the local environment around Doubtless Bay.
Lynn Pirrie Smith has been an abstract painter since 1985 and Abstract Expressionism is her passion. Her work explores gesture and mark-making with energy and colour as important components.
Amy Whyte exhibits regularly at the Village Arts gallery. She brings the dramatic to the most mundane: houses in exfoliated landscapes, interiors bereft of all but a revolving fan or an open door.
The exhibition opens on April 16.
The latest news bites from around the region.