Hāwera Brass Band to bring music to St Mary’s

• Published date: 10 April 2024
• Author: Alyssa Smith
• Publication title: Stratford Press

The Hāwera Brass Band will perform their upcoming concert, Hymnfest, at St Mary’s Anglican Church. The church, which reopened last year, had been closed since 2018 for strengthening work due to it being an earthquake risk

Hāwera Brass Band musical director Karl Anderson says Hymnfest will be the first concert in the building since it reopened.

“It’s the first major performance in that space.”

The concert focuses on confessions, and Karl says the church is the perfect venue to host the performance.

“We will be playing a mix of some of the greatest hymn arrangements.”

He says they will be supported by local performers Gary Anderson and Claudia Blewett.

“Gary is my dad and also a great singer who has been performing for quite some time. He will be accompanied by Claudia Blewett, who is another well-known performer in South Taranaki.”

The local Waugh family will also perform, he says.

“They are fantastic. I think they’re the Hāwera version of the von Trapp family.”

As well as being the first concert in the church since its reopening, Hymnfest is the...