Detours did not deter them
Last year’s Concert at the Station was always going to be a hard act to follow, but this year’s event just might have topped it according to organiser (and gendarme) Frank Leadley.
As a fundraiser for the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway the event was certainly successful, with little more than standing room only in the large green carriage shed at Kawakawa.
“It was great that the long detour resulting from the closure of Lemons Hill did not deter many people, and they certainly got their money’s worth from the wide range of talent on show,” Mr Leadley added.
From the opening display of sublime light opera from Ellen Callister, who travelled up from Auckland and returned on the same day, followed by the magnificent close harmony from New Zealand’s top small chorus, Bella A Capella, the concert got off to a fantastic start, he added.
Bella A Capella would soon be jetting off to the USA to compete for New Zealand against four other top choruses, and their talent and enthusiasm was clearly on show.
As a complete change, Brent Stephen, from Whangarei, took the stage with his toe-tapping country and western numbers, to the great appreciation of the enthusiastic audience, and then, for still another complete change, Opua’s young bass baritone Daniel Morrison displayed the talent that has earned him a regular place in the Handel Consort and Choir in Auckland.
Then came the big surprise, when Frank Leadley joined Daniel on stage for a wildly enthusiastic and energetic rendition of the Gendarmes’ Duet, said by many to be the highlight of the concert.
The show then turned to a display of guitar playing courtesy of Choko Tautari, Robert Lemon, Jack Tane and Jack Maunsell, with their TeMia TeMia group, which had the crowd baying for more.
The programme came to an end when concert stalwart Carleen Still wowed the crowd with her country and western numbers, and was brought to a fitting climax when she was joined on stage by MC and Mayor John Carter, who displayed a unique and totally unexpected sense of rhythm and sound as he advised he was ‘A teenager in love.’
“Bring on next year. If it can be better, it will be a small miracle,” Mr Leadley said.