Living in rural Wairarapa, I depend on the internet. I'm also a great supporter of the Gigatown Masterton (#gigatownMTN) competition. A fantastic initiative likely to put the Wairarapa on the economic map in so many ways. But, I am fighting... Continue reading

Christopher Hainsworth, a Wellingtonian who has been free-lancing in Europe for 30 years and is now Organist of Beziers Cathedral, plays at St Matthew's on 6 March 2013, as part of a New Zealand tour. Organ Proms Concert will include his usual mixture of high and low-brow music and witty... Continue reading

To mark of Wings over Wairarapa, being held in Masterton from Friday, 18 January to Sunday, 20 January, 2013, which features many World War 2 aircraft, here's Colin Walsh, on the organ of Lincoln Cathedral, playing his arrangement of The Dambusters' March, by Eric Coates. Continue reading

Hans-André Stamm plays Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major, BWV 564, by J. S. Bach, on the Trost-Organ in Waltershausen, Germany. Continue reading

Those struggling at the bottom of the economic food chain were delivered another blow today - the Government has raised excise duty on petrol by three cents a litre. With things economically not looking so great for the Government it... Continue reading

Defending the Dark from Jason Davis on Vimeo. One of the amazing discoveries I made when I moved from Wellington to the Wairarapa 25 years ago was the night sky. Thousands and thousands of stars in every direction. Satellites blinking... Continue reading

Left to right: Paul Drake, Sophie Vickerman (organ students), Michael Stewart (Director of Music, Wellington Cathedral), Albert Nisbet (organ student), Richard Apperley (Assistant Director of Music, Wellington Cathedral.) A recital by organ students of Richard Apperley today re-launched the Music at St Matthew's organ music series which has languished since... Continue reading

A wet, miserable Sunday evening in Masterton. The streets deserted. Everyone at home by the fire. The misty light obscures the ugly pollarded tree stumps in Renall Street. Chapel Street, looking north. And south. Continue reading

The inimitable Carlo Curley passed away on Saturday, 11 August 2012. One of the world's finest Organists, he made organ concerts fun and enjoyable to a far wider audience than the typical organ concert crowd. Organists - and others about to perform - normally tuck themselves away in their dressing... Continue reading

Modern recipe books irritate me: too large, too heavy and too few recipes, the close-typed recipe books of yesteryear replaced by monuments to food styling and photographers. By chance I stumbled on The Little Bookroom, a New York publisher of quality little books. My first purchases arrived this morning. Continue reading

> Snow in Masterton, Monday, 15 August 2011 Continue reading

A traditional feature of Cambridge University's May Week is Singing on the River, a concert of choral music sung on the Cam River from punts lashed together and lit with lanterns. Continue reading

The teenage Glenn Gould practising Bach's Partita No. 2. A fascinating glimpse into a rehearsal of a great pianist. Continue reading

While having a late lunch at our lovely local cafe, Dish, I noticed an elderly lady - probably the far side of 80 - sitting next to the window, sipping from a champagne flute. Her walking frame parked beside her,... Continue reading

The southern Wairarapa coast in the late afternoon in winter. Continue reading

A small selection of Hope & Glory beautiful handcrafted items. A trip to Greytown for lunch in pouring rain saw us change direction as we could see the sky over Martinborough bathed in sunshine. This proved to be an inspired... Continue reading

National Orchestra of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service :First season ... 1947. Wellington inaugural concert, Town Hall. Thursday March 6th. Souvenir programme. [Cover. 1947].Reference Number: Eph-B-MUSIC-NO-1947-01-front (Alexander Turnbull Library) It is 64 years this week since Anderson Tyrer picked up... Continue reading

Putting parents in prison - and resulting family dysfunction - is contributing to the future prison population. American policy analyst and prison chaplain Samuel K. Aitchison, writing for Patheos, sees the figures speak for themselves. That the criminal justice system... Continue reading

Schnoodle accompanies its own singing at the piano Continue reading

Roy Tankersley has been awarded a MNZM (Member New Zealand Order of Merit) in the New Year Honours, announced on 31 December 2010. Well done, Roy. Very well deserved. Roy has organised many church music activities at community and national... Continue reading

Roy Tankersley has been awarded a MNZM (Member New Zealand Order of Merit) in the New Year Honours, announced on 31 December 2010. Well done, Roy. Very well deserved. Roy has organised many church music activities at community and national level, including direction of the RSCM Winter School. He is... Continue reading

Reindeer being unavailable, Santa visits his Greytown, Wairarapa, customers by plane for an RSA Christmas Party held in the 1960s. Santa is Barney Rhodes and the plane is a Taylorcraft BC12. Continue reading

Card by John Philomen Backhouse, White Terraces, 1880 The practice of sending Christmas cards is rapidly diminishing as people use email and social media to keep in touch. Gone is the need to send Christmas cards in October, to reach... Continue reading