News From First Church

Winter Solstice:

A recent Sunday gathering was a reflection on the Winter Solstice which occurred on 22^nd June at 2.57am NZST.

Winter Solstice is one of the most powerful points of the year as the axis of the Earth pauses, shifts and moves in the opposite direction. It also marks the date when the Earth’s axis is furthest away from the sun – the longest night of the year. After the solstice, days gradually get more hours of sunlight (as I write this today, it is hard to believe with fog/mist hanging around until almost 2pm)!  It also marks the first day of winter in the astronomical calendar, whilst in the meteorological calendar, we are already three weeks into winter.

Winter solstice is the great stillness before the Sun’s strength builds, and days grow longer.  It can be an ideal time to rest and reflect, while you sit cosily by the fire or the heat pump. It’s a time when we have the time, to honour our past and clear space literally and figuratively, to make room for what we ‘wish’ for the coming year. Winter solstice and Christmas share similar messages of new hope, gratitude, and thankfulness for all that has been achieved and received throughout the past year.

Café Church

We continue to hold our Sunday gatherings Café style, in the church hall from 9.45am (time for a hot drink and homemade cake or biscuits) with the service commencing at 10am.

All denominations and faiths very welcome and we look forward to meeting and enjoying old and new friends. … Continue Reading

Matariki in Martinborough

This year’s Matariki public holiday falls on Friday 14th July and there are some beautiful opportunities to celebrate in our community. 

Hau Ariki Marae is offering a unique opportunity to experience a noho (stay over) at the marae on Thursday 13 July to then rise early to enjoy the rising of Matariki.

Starting with a powhiri  welcome onto the marae, the evening will include children’s activities, waiata and a talk about the Dark Sky, Matariki and its significance. There is the opportunity to simply join in the evening event or the dawn rising ceremony.

All details can be found on eventfinder where you can register your attendance.

In Considine Park the Wairarapa Library Service StoryWalk® is another way for families to learn about Matariki.

The current book is Daniel’s Matariki Feast by Rebecca Beyer and Linley leading up to Matariki. It weaves together learning about Matariki and acceptance into a school community.

Join Daniel as he discovers the meaning of Matariki through korero with his whanau and classmates. Christine Ross’ illustrations are delightful. You can read the story in Te Reo, Chinese or English.  There is even a Spiced Pumpkin Cake recipe for you to make and share.    … Continue Reading

Marees Musings

HACKED [OFF]!

Globally it’s estimated that 30,000 websites are hacked every day, and it’s cold comfort that online scams are up by some 60% recently. So I’m not alone, as I will explain. 

The connection between a hack and a scam is obvious. First the hack, which is a bit like someone breaking into your house with designs on pinching stuff. It might happen to your PC, or as I found out, your credit card. Originally the word itself had nothing to do with computers, but was hacked (HAH!) from the 1960’s MIT Model Railway Club’s fiddling with their trains in order to modify their functions. Long before folk tinkered with model trains and now, technology, there was the ProtoGermanic term  ‘hakkona’: that is, to chop, hoe or hew. That’s exactly what it feels like and all!

Next up, the scam, another common term nowadays, which says something about the state of modern living. Back in 1782, it meant a highway robber; possibly derived from scamp which in those days was a swindler or a cheat. I thought I’d dealt with those lowdowns back in May, but here they are again. By the way, there’s no evidence for the word being a shortened form of Scandalous Misdeeds, but says it all, eh?

Finally, the theft. Those in the know realise what’s going on long before any personal information, or in my case, money, is quietly removed. I’m no whizz at technology but like most people, the convenience of a credit card makes life easy. You receive a statement once a month. They make interesting reading, but in my case, as the total is automatically paid from another of my accounts, ignoring it seemed OK, and I often do. No worries. Until recently, that is. … Continue Reading

Magic Carpet Piano Trio

Rakuto Kurano, Gabriel Baird, and Boudewijn Keenan

The Greytown Music Group is pleased to be supporting young and innovative Rakuto Kurano, a versatile performer and composer. 

As a multi award-winning violinist. pianist, conductor and composer, Rakuto has completed numerous concert tours around New Zealand, and currently averages 60 concerts each year! 

He has played twice previously in Greytown, and for this Greytown Concert on 30 July his fellow musicians will be Gabriel Baird on piano and Boudewijn Keenan on cello.

The programme features Piano Trio No1 by Anton Arensky (Russian, 1861 – 1905), Piano Trio by Guy Ropartz (French, 1864 – 1955) , “Fantail in Tokyo” by Rakuto, and a new composition by Gabriel Baird.

Gabriel is a pianist, bassoonist and composer. He frequently performs with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and is an accompanist and musical director for local choirs and ensembles. 

He has been described as “having a unique sense of creatitivity” and “an inspiring young musician”. He played in Greytown in 2021 in a concert with Professor Mark Menzies.

Boudewijn is a second year music student at Otago University. For a cellist of his age he has had extensive orchestral experience with Dunedin Youth Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and now Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of Rakuto’s Magic Carpet String Quartet that toured the South Island last year, and is delighted to be part of this new series of trio concerts.

Rakuto made his debut as a composer in 2016 with his composition “Angelic Glow” selected as a winning work in the NZ Harp Duo composition competition. In 2019 his “Fantail in Tokyo” was selected as a winning work in the NZ Trio competition, and it was performed by the NZ Trio in Auckland. 

In 2021 he was commissoned by the Baroque Music & Educational Trust of NZ to compose a Concerto Grosso, a neo-Baroque style work for 3 soloists, string ensemble and harpsichord, for a national tour. The work was met by a standing ovation at every concert!

Piano Trio Concert – Rakuto Kurano, Gabriel Baird and Boudewijn Keenan: 4pm Sunday 30 July at 57 Wood St, Greytown.  Admission $30 adults, children $10. For bookings, contact Ed and Juliet Cooke  efjacooke@gmail.com or Ph 06 304 9497.