I have not heard the choir's present accompanist, Caitlin Sandbrook, before and enjoyed her careful, steady support. I admit to being a fan of Abby Lindsay who I listen to with great pleasure to whatever role she plays in local music, accompanying others or featuring in so many musicals and plays.
The audience was warmly thanked for their attendance at this concert but, judging by the warmth of the applause and the smiles on the faces of the audience, we gladly thank everyone involved for a fine afternoon.
MIKE: Last Wednesday afternoon found me at the Davis Theatre, lowering my ageing body, with great care, on to the carpet inside the Starlab. On loan from Palmerston North, this expensive item — "costing more than some houses", we were told — looked like a large black igloo made of rubber. "It is not a bouncy castle," said Awhina Toomey, "so you adults behave!" This was typical of Awhina's presentation — informative and spiced with humour. Her audience was split between adults and young children, the latter far more ready to reply when repetition of a Maori word was requested. We adults gradually lost our linguistic inhibitions and joined in.
The occasion was part of a series of events to celebrate and impart knowledge of Puanga, a star of significance for Whanganui iwi, as it represents the start of the new year. Now I know how to find it. Look for the three stars forming Orion's Belt (Tau Toru), move directly north above the central one and there it is. (To be honest, in this cold weather I haven't yet ventured out to put my knowledge to the test!) Moving east from those three, allow your eyes to find a bright star, continue east, and there is Matariki, the seven sisters, known to the ancient Greeks as the Pleiades. The number of stars visible to the naked eye is actually six (hence "the lost sister" of the Greek writers), though the constellation comprises more than four hundred.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of familiarity with these constellations for the first settlers, who used them to guide their waka to these islands. This knowledge is still relevant today, as astronauts have used the Polynesian stars to plot their return to earth. Prior to our entry to the Starlab, Margie Beautrais gave an introductory talk about the Maramataka calendar, which follows the moon, providing information on planting of crops, fishing and other aspects of daily life. The Maori dictum for Puanga translates as —
"A time to prepare, a time for learning, a time to give and share, a time for celebration."
Congratulations to the Whanganui Regional Museum for providing this learning opportunity, and to the two speakers for a stimulating experience.
MIKE: When I asked Patrick Cush what the inspiration was behind his paintings, his reply was, "Nothing. I just paint". Next question — "What is the significance of the titles assigned to your works?"
"Well, some are obvious , such as Blue Lines. The rest just come to mind as I'm painting."
I appreciated Pat's honesty. On so many occasions I have read an artist's statement, finding myself completely overwhelmed by its hyperbolic verbiage. Of course, there are many which are sincere and meaningful, but my overall impression is that the use of bewildering rhetoric is an attempt at obfuscation, concealing a less than worthy item.
The eight pieces on display at Space are in Pat's usual abstract style. Brightly coloured, vivid, vibrant, they make a loud statement as you enter the gallery. The exhibition is aptly titled Facelift, as each of the oil paintings is a reworking, refashioning and refreshing of a previous work. It was interesting to note that a well known local artist had a red dot placed on one soon after the doors opened. On chatting to Sarah Williams, as I was leaving, I mentioned my conversation with Pat and his straightforward, no-nonsense replies. She smiled and said, "Pat just likes to paint."
JOAN AND MIKE: This is our 300th article for Midweek, for which Paul Brooks has given us a small present. We can have the next week off! Back on July 18.
JOAN: Just a happy little incident worth mentioning. Last Sunday met friends for coffee. Yellow House was packed! Went to the counter to order and couldn't find my purse. A moment of panic. Back to the table and there it was. BUT I had apparently dropped it on the floor. Three different couples noticed it and had a discussion as to where it had come from and whether my friends and I had already left the café. They had placed it on our table to see if we returned. A huge thank you from me to all concerned. I know very well if that had happened elsewhere, my purse would likely have been pocketed and removed. Another fine example of the special, caring nature of both the café and our city.
