Te Awamutu Music Alive president Judith Herbert with Sue Baker, author of the new book A Beat in Time.
The half century story of how a small Te Awamutu music group grew to become one of the jewels in Waipā’s crown has been celebrated at a concert in the town.
The ‘50th Celebration Concert’ organised by the Te Awamutu Music Federation was held at St John’s Anglican Church and featured sublime performances by pianist Michael Houstoun and his guest partner, Sarah Watkins.
The pair presented a series of piano solos and duets before an appreciative audience of around 170 people.
The event also marked the launch of the group’s 50th anniversary book ‘A Beat in Time’. It also kicked off a new name – no longer the Te Awamutu Music Federation, the group will now be Te Awamutu Concerts Alive.
President Judith Herbert said the name change was to bring the group into a new era and continue to build on its reputation throughout the region.
It has not only attracted fine musicians through the years – some of them international – but also, under a collaboration with the University of Waikato’s Conservatorium of Music launched almost 20 years ago, its concerts provide a platform for students and give audiences an opportunity to listen to new talent.
“It was a collaboration that brought benefits to both,” said Sue Baker, the former journalist who wrote ‘A Beat in Time’ after spending more than a year poring over Federation records, many of them stored with former Te Awamutu Music Federation president and Sue’s mother, Gay McLaughlin.
“Mum was a piano teacher for many years,” said Sue. “Her lengthy involvement with the Federation meant she had a lot of the old records with her, material such as brochures and meticulously kept minutes of meetings.”
Sue said while the idea to do a book had been floating around for a while, delving into the older history of the Federation proved to be the difficult part, but with some assistance, she was able to tap into music archives in Wellington.
The book, with about 80 pages of stories and photographs around Federation stalwarts and the many concert performers, has delighted Gay.
“Sue has put it together brilliantly … she has written it as though she is talking to somebody. Music is really a language that is understood everywhere you go in the world.”
Her own love of music started at the tender age of three. Gay went on to become a piano teacher for many years and joined the Federation in the 1990s. She became president for about five years between various stints on the committee – reflecting her many years affiliated with the group.
Sunday’s concert was followed by a 50th anniversary tea. Copies of the book are available through the music group.
