Organist Nikora flexing fingers for Gisborne Choral Society performance

Guest organist Thomas Nikora and timpanist Amanda Maclean preparing for Gisborne Choral Society's performance on Sunday at St Andrew's Church from 2pm. 

Guest organist Thomas Nikora wasted no time after flying in from Wellington on Thursday morning in getting acquainted with the organ at St Andrew’s Church.

He has a lot of playing ahead, on this his first time in Gisborne, when he accompanies Gisborne Choral Society’s performance of the Mozart Great Mass in C Minor tomorrow (Sunday). He will also accompany the shorter work Te Deum by Dvorak.

Nikora was joined on Thursday by Amanda Maclean, who will play timpani in the Dvorak.

He planned to spend most of Friday at St Andrew’s, familiarising himself with the organ and giving sopranos Catherine Macdonald and Serena Foster, and bass Joe Christensen, who has travelled from Hastings to sing in the concert, a chance to rehearse with him.

The remaining guest soloist, tenor Jamie Young, also from Wellington, was scheduled to arrive Saturday morning.

They were to join the choir in a final rehearsal in the afternoon before the performance tomorrow in St Andrew’s Church, Cobden St, at 2pm.

There are door sales.

• A story in today’s Gisborne Herald newspaper states that the concert is being held today. That is incorrect.