Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Club Night for September 2025

 What a great night of musical entertainment. We had visitors from all around Auckland that came especially to listen to our guest artist, Taka Iida, play his Yamaha Electone Stagea Portable two-manual keyboard and pedalboard. What a great performance Taka gave us on his magnificent keyboard - a mixture of very melodic Japanese orchestral ballads and jazz standards. Arrival music was kindly provided by Patrick McMillan on our Clavinova - thank you so much for your beautiful arrangements.

In the second set, after a refreshing coffee break, we were entertained firstly by member and music teacher Wu Liu and two of his students with both solo songs and duets. Wonderful music and very talented youngsters playing our Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809. Next, Linus Treefoot brought along his Korg Havian 30 ensemble piano and entertained us with four songs and vocals - some original compositions and all very musical and fun to listen to! Finally, Warren Levick played the Clavinova using both the styles and in one case splitting the keyboard to play chords on the lower manual and melody on the right-hand manual - keyboard style. Great choice of songs and executed very nicely indeed. Well done, Warren.

The Videos: (to follow)

Linus Treefoot playing his
Korg Havian 30 ensemble piano


Wu Liu and two students giving a mini concert
L to R: Jayden Zhang, Gordon Sutherland, Wu Liu, Orianna Jing



The Photos:

L to R: Jayden Zhang, Gordon Sutherland,
Wu Liu, Orianna Jing.
Jayden and Orianna
played a sole piece and a duet with Wu for us. Delightful.

Linus Treefoot on keys and Len Hancy vocals

Linus Treefoot playing his Korg Havian 30
with added vocals

Arrivals Music provided by Patrick McMillan
on our Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809


Member and music teacher, Wu Liu
playing our Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809

Wu Liu duetting with his student

Wu Liu duetting with his student

One of Wu Liu's students playing solo on our
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809

One of Wu Liu's students playing solo on our
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809


Warren Levick playing the Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809

Our guest artist, Taka Iida, playing his Yamaha Electone Stagea
two-manual portable keyboard and pedalboard







Thursday, August 21, 2025

Coffee Day at Fairview Lifestyle Village

 We always have a great day entertaining the residents (and our members) on Coffee Days at this lovely village. We had an enthusiastic audience of residents and our members that came along to enjoy the day. Plenty of good and varied styles of music in opulent surroundings and excellent cuisine provided by the kitchen staff. It was good that we had three of our members playing that are also residents of the Village as well as a guest appearance of a resident who played the grand piano with a jazz focus.

The Photos:


x
Gordon Sutherland playing his Korg Pa5X
arranger keyboard

Resident and Club member Mary Barrett playing her
Korg Pa1000arranger keyboard

Warren Levick playing the
Kohler and Campbell grand piano

Yvonne Moller playing her Korg Pa3X
arranger keyboard

Patrick McMillan playing the
Kohler and Campbell grand piano

Resident and Club member Diane Lyons playing her Korg Pa700
arranger keyboard

Resident Bennie Gunn playing the
Kohler and Campbell grand piano

Resident and Club member Len Hancy singing with backing tracks

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Club Night 5th August 2025

 What a great night of music! A good attendance and some terrific music spanning lots of genres and eras. The evening started with arrival music provided by Warren Levick on our Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano - a good half-hour warm-up session! Thank you, Warren. To start the formal proceedings, Ian Jackson played the Clavinova with some great individual arrangements of classical pop songs like Billy Joel's Piano Man. Great start to the evening, thanks Ian. Next up, Yvonne Moller played her Korg Pa3X arranger workstation with some great beats and the music was really syncopating! Well done, Yvonne. Finally, Patrick McMillan played the Clavinova again with some lovely melodies by the such as Burt Bacharach. Nice playing and superb arrangements, thanks Patrick.

After the Raffle and Refreshments break, our guest artists were Ben Fernandez on the piano, his son, Josh, on sax, clarinet, bass guitar, and cajon - but not all at the same time, and Bosco Fernandez who is Ben's brother now residing in Auckland who played some amazing duets with Ben. As always, a very polished and thoroughly enjoyable concert of popular songs from the last 50 years. Thank you, guys.

The Guest Artists Video:

L:R: Ben Fernandez on piano and accompanied by his son,
Josh on various instruments, and Ben's brother,
Bosco Fernandez on piano




The Photos:

Warren Levick provided the arrival music on our 
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Ian Jackson playing our 
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Yvonne Moller playing her
Korg Pa3X arranger workstation

Patrick McMillan playing our 
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Ben Fernandez playing our 
Y
amaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Ben Fernandez and brother, Bosco Fernandez,
dueting on our 
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Ben Fernandez and brother, Bosco Fernandez,
dueting on our 
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano
and joined by Ben's son, Josh, on cajon


Josh and Ben Fernandez mixing piano with sax

L to R: Ben Fernandez, Josh Fernandez, and Bosco Fernandez







Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Coffee Day at Northbridge Village

 As part of the Club's ethos of "Bringing Music to the Community", we had a lovely day at Northbridge Village in Northcote, North Shore, Auckland, NZ. Six of our members did turns of playing the Village's Yamaha Clavinova CVP-609 ensemble piano and indeed, one member brought along his arranger keyboard to add variety to the proceedings. The residents and our members seemed to really enjoy the music and certainly our Raffle was well patronised! We have been visiting this Village for at least 10 years and always a thoroughly enjoyable day - good music, good catering, good camaraderie.

The Photos:

Warren Levick playing the Yamaha CVP-609 ensemble piano

Susan Verran playing the Yamaha CVP-609 ensemble piano.
This was Susan's debut playing in public
so very well done!

Graeme Webber playing the Yamaha CVP-609 ensemble piano

Gordon Sutherland playing his Korg Pa5X arranger workstation

Patrick McMillan playing the Yamaha CVP-609 ensemble piano

Ian Jackson playing the Yamaha CVP-609 ensemble piano



Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Club Night 1st July 2025

 A really good night of music - lots of variety, styles and wonderful musical entertainment. The evening started with a half-hour mini concert by Brian McMurray playing the Club's Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano. In the main body of the first set, we were entertained by Graeme Webber on the Clavinova using some of the rhythms, layered sounds and added vocals to boot! Next up, Peter Longbottom played his Korg Pa600 with some memorable songs including some Scottish classics. To finish the first set, Len Hancy sang 5 songs that epitomized his youth in London, England and accompanied by backing tracks. Thanks, guys, for your great music.

After the Raffle draw and a refreshments break, we were ready for our guest artists, Jill and Joe Fingers. Jill providing vocals on some songs and Joe played his Yamaha PSR-S950 arranger keyboard in his inimitable style! Joe focussed on playing some of his favourite songs including some Irish ballads. As always, a very polished and entertaining concert.

                                          The Video:

 Jill and Joe Fingers. Joe on his Yamaha PSR-S950 arranger keyboard
and Jill providing additional vocals


The Photos:

Brian McMurray played the arrival music on our
 Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809

Graeme Webber played our
 Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 with some added vocals

Peter Longbottom played his
Korg Pa600 arranger keyboard

Len Hancy sang with backing tracks with a story
of his London young life experiences

Our guest artists, Jill and Joe Fingers.
Jill providing vocals on some numbers and Joe singing and playing his
Yamaha PSR-S950 arranger keyboard


Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Coffee Day at Knightsbridge Village

 What a wonderful Coffee Day at this delightful Lifestyle Village - Knightsbridge. We were thrilled to have two of New Zealand's finest pianists come along voluntarily to share their music with the residents and our Club Members in attendance. Namely, we had 19-year-old competition winner Hana Tani come along and play some classical pieces to start the morning for us and then to end the Day later in the afternoon, well known pianist, composer, impresario and music educator Ben Fernandez gave us an impromptu 20-minute mini-concert of light music with a theme of 'sunshine' given that it was a lovely sunny day! Some of our very talented pianists also played for us with Patrick McMillan giving two performances during the day.

The residents seemed to lap the music up as so they should with such an array of talented musicians. The Club's ethos is "Bringing Music to the Community" as well as holding Club meetings monthly at our Club rooms.

All in all, a splendid day of music and lots of catch-up chatter amongst our members as they enjoyed the exuberant surroundings, good catering, and wonderful music!

Some videos will be slotted down below once edited.

          

The Videos:

Ben Fernandez playing the K. Kawai grand piano


 Yuko Tani playing the K. Kawai grand piano

Hana Tani playing the K. Kawai grand piano



The Photos:

Guest artist and Club member Hana Tani performing on the K. Kawai grand piano

Yuko Tani playing the K. Kawai grand piano

Claude Moffat playing the K. Kawai grand piano

Mary Elvin playing the K. Kawai grand piano

Warren Levick playing the K. Kawai grand piano

Graeme Webber playing the K. Kawai grand piano


Patrick McMillan playing the K. Kawai grand piano

The entrance lobby and our Entry Desk

Some of our members and residents enjoying the occasion

Well known musician, Ben Fernandez,
kindly came along and gave us a mini concert.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Club Night 3rd June 2025

 Some great music provided by our members in the first half and by our guest artist in the second half. Warren Levick provided the arrival music and also gave an impromptu performance to cover for a playing for a member that was indisposed. Well done Warren and you're playing was near picture perfect too! Claude Moffat played the Clavinova piano also to start the evening off - thanks Claude for a nice selection of pieces. Also, in the first half, Gordon Sutherland played his Korg Pa5X arranger keyboard with some added vocals for extra depth - some songs using the original artists' voices and some by Gordon himself.

After a great refreshments break, courtesy of our Catering Manager, Jan Ellin, we were ready for our guest artist, Denise Gunson, a professional upmarket cocktail bar pianist who played the Club's Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 to great effect and some pieces played as straight piano and some with rhythm backgrounds. A lovely selection ranging from Cole Porter, Paul McCartney. and Chris de Burgh to name some of the artists songs played most exquisitely.

The Videos:

Our guest artist, Denise Gunson, playing the Club's
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 


Warren Levick playing the Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809


Gordon Sutherland playing his
Korg Pa5X arranger keyboard


The Photos:

Claude Moffat playing the Club's
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Gordon Sutherland playing his
Korg Pa5X arranger keyboard

Warren Levick playing the Club's
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano

Our Guest Artist, Denise Gunson, playing the Club's
Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 ensemble piano