Year End Party at Fairview Lifestyle Village

To celebrate a great year of music and fun, The North Shore Music and Keyboard Club held its Year End Party as the guests of the lovely Fairview Lifestyle Village. We gathered from 2.30 pm in the master lounge of the Village and members played until 6 pm which included a 4.30 - 6.00 pm Happy Hour! Some great playing on the Village's grand piano and on the members' keyboards brought in for the occasion.

We had a record number of attendees (42) for the Christmas Ham Dinner and Chocolate Cake Dessert which kept us busy until 7.15 pm whence our host for the day, Diane Lyons, drew the raffle with four lovely prizes on offer. It was then time for our Band to fire up and get the feet moving and tapping on the dance floor to a theme of latin based favourites. Thank you Jan and Kevin Johnston for once again acting as our Band for the Year End function and also, to our host at Fairview, Len Hancy, who added spice to the music with great vocals.

A big thank you to Diane Lyons who kindly acted at MC for the day and Len Hancy for acting as MC for after dinner activities. As always, a big thank you to our Raffle Desk team which consisted of Kay and Russell Boyes and Dale Everiss - all looking resplendent in their festive season clothes. Thanks also to Patrick McMillan for helping with the set-up given our President, Gordon Sutherland, was somewhat indisposed on the day.

So, a great year of activities for the Club is drawing to a close with just our final December Club Night to go.

The Photos:

Kay Boyes playing the grand piano

Claude Moffat playing the grand piano

Diane Lyons playing her Korg Pa900

President, Gordon Sutherland, showing off his additional two legs!

Dale Everiss and Russell Boyes manning the Raffle Desk

Some members and residents relaxing to the music

Brian and Eleanor Teviotdale enjoying the occasion

Our member and resident host for the day, Len Hancy, finding a moment to relax

Patrick McMillan enjoying a quite moment

Audrey Henden and Karen Steen checking-in at the Raffle Desk ably manned by Russ Boyes and Dale Everiss

Audrey Henden and Karen Steen buying their raffle tickets

Yvonne Moller playing her Korg Pa3X

Our Entry Desk nicely decked-out to reflect the approaching festive season

Roy Steen playing his Korg Pa300

Brian McMurray playing the grand piano

Audrey Henden playing the grand piano

Our host for the day, Diane Lyons

Rod Moffat playing his Korg Pa4Xx

Rod and Nelleke Moffat - Nelleke providing the vocals

Denise Gunson playing the grand piano

Some members and residents relaxing to the music

Patrick McMillan playing the grand piano

Ian Jackson playing the grand piano

L:R: Karen Steen, Delyse Whorwood, Audrey Henden and Pauline Beales grooving to the great latin beat

Kevin and Jan Johnston - Kevin on his acoustic guitar and Jan on her Korg Pa1X

The full Band, Len Hancy on vocals, Kevin Johnston on acoustic guitar and Jan Johnston on her Korg Pa1X. Great music with a latin theme and certainly got people up and dancing. Thank you so much.

Club Night 5th November 2019

What a great evening for our Club Night and what a drama leading-up to it! When the team arrived to start setting-up for the evening's Club Night at our Club Rooms at the Takapuna Bowling Club, we were faced with our room filled with painters and paint covers on the floors and the ceiling lighting disconnected. It transpires The Bowling Club have been upgrading the Rooms but forgot to tell us that the facility would not be available this month! After a quick phone call the owner of Music Planet Takapuna, Roger Smith, we hurriedly rushed down the road to Music Planet and started setting up as best we could there. Diane Lyons, Delyse Whorwood, Kay and Russ Boyes frantically phoned our members to tell of the last minute change of venue! It was gratifying therefore that we had a good attendance of members and visitors to enjoy the music.

The arrival music and a 15 minute first set performance was given by Roy Steen on his trusty Korg Pa300. Also playing for us in the first set was Rod Moffat on his Korg Pa4X and Nelleke Moffat who sang some songs along with Rod accompanying on keys. Diane Lyons also played for us on her Korg Pa900 including some impromptu singing and invoking some audience sing-along. Great stuff in strange surroundings!

Our guest artist this month was Kane Steves who is the Departmental Manager for Music Planet Takapuna Piano and Keyboard Department. This was a quirky co-incidence that we had to relocate for the evening to his work place, Music Planet! Kane gave a great Concert on a top-of-the-range Yamaha Clavinova CVP-709 digital ensemble piano together with some songs played on a Korg Havian 30 digital ensemble piano. It was great that Kane not only played the instruments beautifully but also briefly mentioned some of the features of each instrument before playing each song.

All in all a great evening of music if somewhat organized in a mad rush! Our eternal thanks to Music Planet Takapuna for letting us use there shop for our Club Night on very short notice! It a funny sort of a way, it seemed appropriate to be surrounded by hundreds of pianos, keyboard and guitars for the concert!

A big thank you to Diane Lyons, Delyse Whorwood, Russ and Kay Boyes for frantically phoning all our members to tell them of our change of venue. Also, a big thanks to Patrick McMillan for helping with the set-up and controlling the video recorder for the evening.

                                           The Video:

Our November guest artist, Kane Steves, playing a Yamaha CVP-509 and a Korg Havian 30. Due to unforseen circumstances we had to relocate the venue for the evening to Music Planet Takapuna. The Club is most grateful for the venue being made available with no prior notice possible.

The Photos:

Diane Lyons playing and singing along with her Korg Pa900

Rod Moffat playing his Korg Pa4X

Rod and Nelleke Moffat playing for us. Rod on his Korg Pa4X and Nelleke on vocals

Roy Steen played the arrivals music and gave a performance on his Korg Pa300. Seen here surrounded by a plethora of keyboards and guitars!

Our Guest Artist, Kane Steves, playing the Yamaha Clavinova CVP-709

Our Guest Artist, Kane Steves, playing the Korg Havian 30 ensemble piano for us