A Chorus Line

Nicola has joined the Wellington City Chorus http://www.wellingtoncitychorus.org/ Last night we went to a concert where they were singing – Nicola didn’t sing as she had only just joined and wasn’t fully conversant with their routines, so we were in the audience until the end, when she joined the ensemble renditions of How We Sang Today and Te Aroha.

The concert was being held at Hutt International Boys School, in the Hutt Valley. Geography digression: the Greater Wellington conurbation is made up of four centres – Wellington, Porirua, Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt. The Hutt is the river that flows into Wellington Harbour. This was my first trip outside of Wellington “proper” since I’d arrived here.

We checked the train times, including last ones back in the evening, and set out for the station – which is on Bunny Street. Well, I found it funny. We got tickets, then found out that the trains weren’t running – they had weekend engineering works! So, not much different to the UK, there was a bus replacement service. We got on, after having been passed back and forth between the two buses because they couldn’t decide which one would be stopping at Heretaunga.

Guess what? The bus we were on didn’t stop at Heretaunga – it went straight on to its final destination of Upper Hutt. We (and several other passengers) complained to the Tranz Metro guy on the bus, and he, to his credit, apologised and sorted out an immediate return bus to Heretaunga for us. So we eventually arrived at our destination, fortunately with enough time to spare to get us to the venue.

Women’s barbershop singing seems to be a big thing in New Zealand. As well as the Wellington City Chorus there was one other large choir at the concert, and a number of quartets performing. Some of these choirs compete internationally, mainly in the USA, as well as in the domestic competitions, and New Zealand has a growing reputation in the barbershop world. Who knew?

Wellington City Chorus performing "One"

The concert was a great success, and we managed to beg a lift home with one of Nicola’s choir colleagues, so didn’t have to worry about watching the rail replacement bus whizz past us as we stood waiting disconsolately at the station bus stop.   

Nicola - front & centre

Summer Time

New Zealand moved on to Summer Time this weekend, so those of you who wish to call us from lands afar, take note of the change in time difference. I’ll let you know when actual summer weather kicks in – it hasn’t yet.