Tours, skulls and silver jewellery

261115JSjewellery GIFTED: Examples of Tracey Piercey's jewellery. PICTURE / JOAN STREET

JOAN: Christmas is indeed coming! For many of us this brings a welcome - or not so welcome - visit from family or friends. They are the fortunate ones, for they come to the city of which we are all very proud. Summertime arrives and Whanganui blossoms, blooms and offers its fascinating past and present to locals and visitors alike.
Depending on our own interests and those of our guests, we'll vary the events and features that we share over this busy time. Many will watch the Boxing Day Cemetery Circuit. Others will take the Waimarie up-river. There is the Durie Hill lift, Kowhai Park, Virginia Lake, the many galleries ... you know the list as well as I do.
However, whatever else is on your agenda, family or friend, child or adult, there is no way that you should miss the excellent City Guided Walking Tour, offered by the Wanganui Events Trust.
Bob Griffiths is one of the group of well-informed local guides who will walk you around the central city, and I have done the walk with him. He is most knowledgeable, warm, attentive and humorous. Strolling round with him. I saw parts of the city that I had never even noticed before! I learnt a huge amount and gained an even greater affection for my own home town. Bob and his fellow guides trim their tours to their audience. Whoever you are, whatever you ask, they have the answers and some very amusing anecdotes as well!
Tours depart from the i-Site at 10am or 2pm on Saturdays or Sundays. Special tours can be arranged. Visit the i-Site or phone 3493258 to arrange your tour. I really encourage you to go for this! It is something very special!
MIKE: Although arriving shortly after the official opening time, I could barely squeeze into the Rayner Gallery last Friday. Breathing was at a premium, as people were virtually moving by numbers. One step forward - "Sorry! Excuse me!" One step to the side - "Oops! Sorry!" One step back - "Oh dear! Will that stain come out?" Apart from the regular bonhomie in the chatty, relaxed openings provided by Mark and Paul, the gathering was made even cosier as it attracted a large number of artists whose work was on display. Continuing their Christmas tradition of offering a theme and asking artists to develop it in their own style, the brothers took a skull as the basis this year. Skullicious exhibits the mental agility and talent of 40 artists - insightful, delicate, humorous, thoughtful, ingenious. Invidious, it may seem, to select only a few, but that is my prerogative. After all, I did manage to elbow and coax my way round the room several times, infiltrating gaps which would have made Houdini gasp. The delicate Forget-me nots of Catherine Macdonald; Karin Strachan's Dante's Death Mask (may not be genuine); the colourful glossy effect of Mike Marsh's Rusty; Rick Rudd's Death in Elsinore, a teapot with a black snake writhing its coils through the two eyes of the skull; Andrea Gardner's Nature Morte, a white owl sitting atop a white skull; and many others, ad infinitum. The two which had most impact for me were quite different. A skull, wearing a long black wig, set on a vodka bottle, and titled Scull it, Amy, was a tribute, by Nevanah Turner, to that talented lost soul, Amy Winehouse. Ivan Vostinar's Self is a humanoid form in clay, spray painted with a matte finish, stretching out one hand, on which rests a skull. "Hamlet?" I asked. "Perhaps," Ivan replied, "but mainly contemplation of the 'self'."
None of these descriptions do even minimal justice to the actual works, so please go and enjoy them yourself. You have till December 24.
JOAN: I am a "regular" at Head High, the hairdressers in Ingestre St. This is a happy place to have your hair styled and I love chatting with Jenny, Debbie and Tracey. Whanganui is a place where those who live here never cease to surprise me. Tracey Piercy is one of them. As Jenny finished cutting my hair last week, Tracey stepped forward and placed a very pretty box on the table in front of me. I opened it and gasped with surprise. Here were examples of Tracey's beautiful, unique silver jewellery. When not a hairdresser, Tracey is a most gifted silversmith. The pieces that she showed me were inspiring. Each had an element of nature within them. There were brooches, necklaces, rings. I was totally amazed.
Tracey told me that her grandfather was a sculptor, poet and philosopher. They would go for walks on the beach together when she was small and, even then, she had an eye for the unusual and could see possibilities for future work. As the wheel of time turns, she now encourages husband and children to bring her beach treasures when they are there together.
Six years ago, Tracey began training under local jeweller Gary Bettridge and metal is now her favourite medium. He and other creative metal workers here in our creative city support each other with advice and even the sharing of tools.
Tracey is leaving her salon work at the end of the year to concentrate on her silver artistry. If you wish to purchase one of her superb pieces or see more of her work, contact her on traceylpiercy@hotmail.com or pop into Head High and she will be happy to show you her treasures.
MIKE: When we lived in the UK, a regular feature of Christmas was a TV performance of Handel's Messiah, often by the Huddersfield Choral Society. Two specific memories link me to that mighty work. When I was a child, my mother, an ex-mill worker, with a strong and loud Yorkshire accent, and who loved singing, often told me of her years in a local choir. One Christmas, when singing in a public performance of the Messiah, a soloist near her froze as her moment approached. Without hesitation my mother stepped in and sang her part. The other memory is of our son's being a member of the Collegiate Chapel Choir which sang the work in Big School in 1982, memorable for the reason that one of the soloists was Malvina Major.
A thrilling composition, it still features in our lives here, and last Saturday evening we heard it performed by the Schola Sacra Choir in the Central Baptist Church. The contralto on Saturday was Linden Loader, who had been the other female soloist in the Collegiate event, and the Leader of the 1982 orchestra was Jim Chesswas, still playing the violin in our local orchestra. Schola Sacra was reinforced by its Youth Choir, along with Taihape's Arcadian Singers, whose Musical Director is Helen Gordon. This resulted in a vibrant group of more than 60, which gave us some stirring moments, especially in the familiar favourites. For unto us a child is born was outstanding for the clear, clipped enunciation of the singers, the Hallelujah chorus as thrilling as ever, and the final Amen incredibly rousing, every single member of choirs and musicians giving their all.
Of the soloists, Matthew Wilson proved competent in his role, and, though straining slightly with a few of the higher notes, offered us the prospect of a fine tenor as his voice matures and mellows. After a somewhat quiet and subdued opening, Linden Loader got into her stride, impressing with her power and clarity in He was despised. Roger Wilson's booming, sonorous bass resounded round the hall, a mark of his confidence and experience. When reading the programme notes, prior to the start, I was surprised to see the number of awards and scholarships won by Barbara Graham. As soon as she began to sing, however, the reason was blindingly obvious. What a beautiful voice! The purity and crispness of her notes were wonderful, and, in addition, she engaged with the audience, relaying the emotion of the words by her expressive face and eyes. I know that My Redeemer Liveth was a highlight of the evening.
The Whanganui Orchestra did a sterling job in accompanying the choirs, and Hiro Kobayashi, a guest player on trumpet, deserves special mention. His solos, aligned with Roger Wilson's bass, made The Day of Judgement a memorable section. Finally, our thanks to the Elios String Quartet from Wellington. All members of the NZSO, the quartet produced some exquisite playing, much appreciated by the large audience. It was a joy to watch Martin Jaaenecke's gentle smile as he coaxed his violin through the various sections, often ending with a broad grin on his face. He obviously derived as much pleasure from the music as he provided for the audience.
In conclusion, a huge thanks to Roy Tankersley for yet another musical triumph.
¦ Comments and suggestions to mjstreet@xtra.co.nz