A wet day and a beautiful one at this time of year with the spring foliage drenched green - something to be treasured before summer steals away the lushness.
Yesterday began with a visit to the Ashley Church on its saints' day - and yes the apostrophe is in the right place for St Simon and St Jude. Marilyn, a new friend with an interest in old churches joined me there before coming to lunch.
She brought flowers from her garden, rich purple lilac and pink flushed rhododendrons. Marilyn's son Chris, who lives in an old church not far from here, came to lunch too.
And then it was time for jazz - and more - at a school recital in a class room at Ao Tawhiti (previously Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti). The evening was an opportunity for music students to be assessed for performance credits for NCEA.
With the damp day fading across the lovely treed campus of the University of Canterbury, the music flowed.
Photographing musicians indoors is bit easier than photographing Morris dancers, but I don't use a tripod just because I don't want the photography to override my appreciation of the event. I experimented with different settings last night and I'm pleased when a blurred shot, like the opening one for this post, also shows something of the energy and interaction between the musicians.
Kitty sang quite a lot! Her first piece was a modern pop song Someone Like You by Adele.
When it was time to sing with the Jazz Band, Kitty pumped out Watermelon Man and Zoot Suit Riot... She has a good jazz voice. But the Ao Tawhiti Senior Jazz Band wouldn't be quite what it is without teacher, Matt Davis' enthusiasm and encouragement. I enjoyed watching him move from his smoky sax to thrash heavy metal out of the drum kit for a later act.
And I remember how Jazz continues to be for me part of the character of the school - on a summer's day or a spring evening.
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