New life of music for old school

The old Pukengahu School has a new life  and a new name, after a switch from being a place of education to one of entertainment.
It's now the Pukengahu Playskool and part of the old school building, which is 13km out of Stratford, has been converted to a venue for house concerts.
Owners Rene and Renee van de Weert organise and host visits by various artists every couple of months.
``Every two or three months we have a house concert, and they tend to be folk or blues or jazz.''
The artists who come to Pukengahu, though not as well known in New Zealand, are often quite successful in their own countries. Often, they are giving several concerts in New Zealand, or finishing off an Australian tour, and Rene persuades them to come to
Central Taranaki.
``We don't do it to make a profit, we like music and we want other people to hear the music and enjoy it,'' he says.
He enjoys hosting the musicians, who generally stay on for a day or two.
``I'm an old muso myself, and I get to talk with them and swap ideas, it's quite cool,'' he says.
They have been organising concerts for about a year, and Rene is keen to build up numbers, as he has a core of regulars, but there is room for more.
The venue can comfortably hold 40, and it is set up cafe style, with the audience seated at table s and able to bring their own drinks and nibbles a concert picnic, he says.
The evenings begin with a happy hour, in the room beside the music room, then at concert time Rene rings the school bell, and everybody troops in for the music.
In summer, the old school is a venue for groups of people, often from different Lions Clubs, enjoying an evening of challenges against other clubs.
The next concert coming up is on August 27 by Australian duo Cloudstreet.
The duo comprises Nicole Murray and John Thompson, whose performances are packed with vitality, humour and excitement, as they breathe new life into some of the great songs of the Australian, English and Celtic traditions and carry the tradition forward with original songs and tunes.
 Guitar and Irish flute support their vocals.
Their trademark  harmonies and their impassioned presentation are leavened with humour and great tales from their travels.
(A cloudstreet is a row of thermals marked by cumulus clouds. When gliders fly from thermal to thermal by following the clouds, they ``fly the cloudstreet'', staying aloft for
kilometres.)
The evening begins at 6.30pm with happy hour.
Tickets are $20 and expressions of interest would be appreciated. Please email Rene at
Rene.vandeWeert002@msd.govt.nz.