Adorning Kāhui St David's - Sara Hughes' Colour Quartet
Join us and be the first to view the Sara Hughes artworks which now spectacularly adorn the walls of Kāhui St David's. Sara Hughes’ abstracted artworks glow gold, and colourful rays of light radiate through luminous skies and green land - each a statement of optimism, to honour the hopes of generations past for a brighter future.
This new series of artworks has been specially commissioned as a continuation of the Art of Remembrance project that began with the Max Gimblett ONZM Remembrance quatrefoils in 2015.
Monday 4 December
7.30pm - 8.30pm
Kāhui St David's
Free event
Proceeds will support the building’s illumination and development into a new cultural destination and centre for music for all.
[Image above: Artist Sara Hughes Photo: Sam Hartnett]
Artwork Viewing Times
Monday 4th December 7:30pm - 9:30pm at our special launch event:
Gold & Green | The Art of Remembrance 2023 - Sara Hughes.
Further details below, including our story of the musicians involved.
Tuesday 5th December until 14th December from 4:30pm - 7pm.
By appointment – contact Paul Baragwanath +64 21 521 574, contact@KahuiStDavids.nz
The artworks are also available to view and purchase online at kāhuistdavids.nz
MEET OUR ARTISTS - 4 DECEMBER
En Passant, Charles Lia – piano
"Hey, I’m Charles and my artist name is En Passant. I am 15 years old. Music - it's kind of that thing that brings me peace in my life. Entertaining people and making others happy makes me feel good, because I feel like I have done something good for others."
Juga, Jazmin Ugapo – vocal and guitar
"My name is Jazmin Ugapo and my artist name is Juga. I am Samoan and 17 years old. I come from a very musical family so my whole life I’ve been surrounded by the art of music. I am self-taught and started playing guitar when I was a child. My family and my love for music are what inspire me everyday to create it and pursue the life of an artist"
Both Charles and Jazmin were contestant in SUSO (Stand Up Stand Out) 2023.
Stand Up Stand Out (SUSO) is Tāmaki Makaurau’s most prestigious youth music and dance competition, and a vital platform that gives perspective to the breadth and depth of Auckland’s diverse artistry.
SUSO has its roots in the Ōtara community, when the students of Tangaroa College advocated for an arts centre that became Ōtara Music Arts Centre (OMAC) over 30 years ago. Once the centre was established, SUSO became one of the founding programmes, and it continues to be supported by OMAC and organised by Auckland Council as it enters into its 32nd year.
Each year, over 1000 participants from over 20 secondary schools around Auckland come together to perform across 12 events in one of the five categories: Solo Vocal, Group Vocal, Solo Instrumental, Band and Dance.
Olive Mortimer - vocal & guitar
"Hello my name is Olive Mortimer. I’m 17 years old and my entire life music has been my passion. I have been writing my own songs since I was very little and find pleasure in writing beautiful stories that I can turn into music. Being on stage is something that brings me so much joy. I have been doing Play it Strange for two years. Then I met Mike Chun and he has helped me grow so much in the music industry!!"
Play It Strange is a charitable trust that promotes and inspires songwriting for NZ secondary school student. Play it Strange runs programmes & competitions for young kiwis to write original songs, record and perform them. Providing pathways for creativity through songwriting and a platform for youth nationwide to express themselves through songwriting.
Hanalina Tanuvasa & Ali Ono – Cello Duo
Hanalina is a member of the Senior Orchestra - Otara Rangatahi Orchestra, and has been playing cello since she was in Year 2. Ali has also been with Sistema Aotearoa since Year 2 and is now one of our Rangatahi support students. As well as leading the cello section in our Otara Rangatahi Orchestra, he supports our tutoring team with the junior orchestras. Ali plays with his own chamber group at school with which he has competed and been awarded in the NZST Chamber Music Contest.
Ioleini Vake & Viliami Fa'aui – Cornet Duo
Ioleini and Viliami are members of the Sistema Aotearoa Brass Band and have in this last term started practising duets together with tutor, Anne Filimoehala. When not on Brass Band duty, Ioleini plays the viola and Viliami double bass in our Intermediate orchestra.
Sistema Aotearoa
Inspired by Sistema music programmes around the world. Sistema Aotearoa is a social development programme that builds a sense of community, self-respect, and mutual support in children, aged 2 to 20 years. Offering free, intensive, ensemble-based music lessons to inspire children to realise their full potential through orchestral music-making.
Auckland Youth Choir, Octet
Soprano: Poppy McDonnell & Eloise Page
Alto: Kate Wong She & Althea Tarrosa
Tenor: Ivan Zhang & Hamish Regan
Bass: Sam Nicholson & Benedict Tan
Auckland Youth Choir is a mixed-voice youth choir of singers aged 16-27 from across Auckland. Offering young singers a broad musical and choral experience. The choir was established in 1984 to bridge the gap between school and adult choirs and now has over 120 singing members.
Tamsyn Matchett, Mezzo Soprano
Born in Tāmaki Makaurau, Tamsyn has an Honours in Music (performance voice) from Otago University. She has performed with the New Zealand Opera Chorus in multiple opera productions, and also has credits with the NZO as an assistant director for Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni and Britten’s Noye’s Fludde. She is a co-producer for a theatre company Opera Risque, and also enjoys performing contemporary music with different ensembles across Auckland.
Aria Jones, Soprano
As a solo artist and live performer Aria Jones has fostered her talent for singing, dancing and performing since a young age. Her Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland where she studied classical voice was Aria’s springboard into the NZ Opera chorus where she spent four years honing her stagecraft. Aria released her debut EP 'Love Songs Till Midnight' in 2022. In addition to her own music work, Aria is a passionate advocate for music education in the technology sector, working for local music-tech start up Melodics, to help people learn to play music using an online app.
Helen Lukman-Fox, organist
Helen grew up in Indonesia and her career as a musician has been filled with musical performances, including playing bell lyre, accompanying choirs and instrumentalists and singing solo. She has secured vocal and academic scholarships, which so far have seen her live and perform in 5 countries and 20+ cities thus far.
Since relocating to New Zealand Helen has achieved a number of awards for her organ performances.