Fairfield House

Tī kōuka Multi-brush Workshop
2023-08-13 15:00 - 17:00 (Pacific/Auckland)
Learn how to make a small versatile brush using tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves and hazel wood sticks. You will learn to make very fine cord using our tī kōuka string-making technique, with further skills in fibre preparation and extraction, basic hole drilling and a useful lashing technique to bring your brush together. These little brushes are most useful in the kitchen for oiling pans, or in the workshop for oiling wood, or for applying slip to pottery, or for water painting for children, you name it!
Please note: All materials and tools will be provided. But, if you have access to tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves, do bring in as big a bundle as you can! Also bring an intention or job for your brush and if time allows we can work to tweak the brush for the specific job.
This class is suitable for adults only.
For more details, pricing and to book click here.
Cancellation
Bookings are Non-refundable
If for any reason (this includes illness, COVID, travel delays and injuries) you need to cancel your workshop, you will receive a refund minus a $30 administration fee. This is provided you contact us at least 14 full days before your booking.

Please see our Cancellation Policy for more details.

Tī kōuka Handbrush Workshop
2023-08-13 09:00 - 14:00
Learn how to make a hand brush using locally sourced resources, tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves and hazel wood. Your brush can be used for all sorts of jobs, from the workshop bench to the kitchen floor. Techniques and skills that will be covered during the course of the class include cord-making using our tī kōuka string-making technique, basic draw knife practice, hand-drilling and fibre preparation.
Please note: All materials and tools will be provided. But, if you have access to tī kōuka / cabbage tree leaves, do bring in as big a bundle as you can! Also bring an intention or job for your brush and if time allows we can work to tweak the brush for the specific job.
This class is suitable for adults only.
To book your spot click here.
Cancellation
Bookings are Non-refundable
If for any reason (this includes illness, COVID, travel delays and injuries) you need to cancel your workshop, you will receive a refund minus a $30 administration fee. This is provided you contact us at least 14 full days before your booking.

Please see our Cancellation Policy for more details.

Amiria Grenell & Saint Martins
2023-08-11 19:30
Amiria Grenell & Saint Martins Single Release Tour – Te Waipounamu
Tickets available here!
Amiria Grenell & Saint Martins (Monique Aiken, Ryan Fisherman & Chris William) will be hitting the road to celebrate their newly released singles. Spread across the weekends of early spring, these talented musicians from Otautahi will be playing some beautiful intimate concert’s around the South Island – Te Waipounamu.
It’s been 8 years since Amiria released her last album Autumn & she’s looking forward to touring & celebrating the release of her first single ‘Romeo’ from her upcoming record.
Saint Martins have been quietly working away on their own album & released their single Daily Grind in April. They will be releasing a brand new single for this tour too.
AMIRIA GRENELL
Winner of a Tui NZ Music Award for her 2011 album THREE FEATHERS and a finalist for the same award for her 2015 album AUTUMN, Amiria Grenell is an Ōtautahi folk singer and songwriter with a crystalline voice finely balancing gentle restraint and emotive strength.
Daughter of legendary country musician John Grenell, Amiria grew up on a farm in Whitecliffs, Canterbury, where her family hosted decades of music festivals in the back paddocks.
She has followed her heritage into a colourful and long-standing career as a touring artist and respected songwriter, and returns in 2023 with her latest work, beginning by releasing the romantic new single ‘Romeo’.
SAINT MARTINS
Time and place is a significant factor for Ōtautahi/Christchurch folk trio Saint Martins.
A collective feeling; running along the shaky city’s south side, diving into Banks Peninsula’s crisp waters and ending up with weekend recording sessions in the isolated township of Purau in late 2020 amongst strong songwriters that share primarily in friendship, and secondly in unmasking one’s authentic self.
The project is spearheaded by Monique Aiken’s delicate songship and tempered by the collective production capabilities of Ryan Fisherman and Chris William, inhabiting the neighbourhood where they record and write together, shadowed by the Port Hills sublime quality. Brutally honest in their live performances, relaxed in their intimate delivery, demanding an attentive ear.
Surfing a pool of influence that ranges from electronic folk into alt-pop sensible guitar noise, Saint Martins make music for the honest, stitching a new colour into Ōtautahi’s folk-rock thread.

The Early Bobs
2023-08-04 19:30
The Early Bobs, playing Bob Dylan, led by the talented Clayton Taylor will perform at Fairfield House Friday 4 August.

The band has been performing sold out shows around the region to keen audiences. Don’t miss their first showcase at the beautiful Fairfield House. A 6 person line up is being assembled for the occasion, with Nathan Torvik, Geert Hermsen, Craig Denham, Siobhan Sweeney and Shanine Hermsen joining Clayton Taylor.

$25 pre sales or door sales (if available).

Ticket available here.

Fairfield House will run a bar, doors open 7pm, music from 7.30pm.

#OurStoryIsOne
2023-07-30 14:00
Please RSVP: on this Link https://forms.office.com/r/razhpyqnBF
On June 18th 1983, 10 Iranian Bahá’í women were executed for refusing to renounce their faith. Their story is part of the same story of women’s struggles for gender equality in Iran today. Iranian women have now joined the same path chosen by the 10 Baháí women 40 years ago: standing up for their beliefs and principles of justice and equality at any cost, even their lives.
Remembering these women can illuminate and reinforce conversations around justice and gender equality in Iran.
Together we can honour the 10 Baha’i women of Shiraz and all women across Iran who cherish the principle of equality of women and men, and who have contributed to the building of a better future for the country through their perseverance in the face of adversity and oppression.
************************************
Please join us in this Memorial Event to honour and support the #OurStoryIsOne global campaign.
The long struggle for gender equality has been lived by women of all faiths and backgrounds in Iran for many decades and continues to this day.
This event consists of music, presentations and speakers. It will be followed by afternoon tea.
More information about the global #OurStoryIsOne campaign can be found at:
https://www.ourstoryisone.bic.org/10-bahai-women-of-shiraz
RSVP: on this Link https://forms.office.com/r/razhpyqnBF

Spin a Story
2023-07-28 19:00 - 20:30
NEW DATE CONFIRMED
Tickets for Spin a Story already purchased through Eventfinda will be valid for the new date. Ticketholders who are unable to attend when the new date is set can contact events@ncc.govt.nz to organise a refund.
>>
Come along, be entertained, and be inspired by authentic and original stories from youth. Drawing from their own life experiences and embellished with their own personalities.
These well-told stories will be an opportunity for individuals to share their experiences with young and old. All stories will be recited in and around the grounds of the iconic and historical Fairfield House.
Some of the stories will be recited in the forest around Fairfield so we recommend a torch, warm clothes, and comfortable shoes.

General Admission – Youth: $5.00 each
General Admission – Adult: $10.00 each

Tickets available via Eventfinda.

Fifeshire Foundation 30 year Celebration
2023-07-22 14:00 - 17:00
Live entertaintment from
Sukalati Beats | DJ Tunesifter | Te Mana Hā
Cake and Tea | Sausage Sizzle | All welcome!

Shades of Shakti - July tour
2023-07-09 16:00
The 2023 Winter Tour of Shades of Shakti features visiting Indian master musician Sangeet Mishra, with top-shelf New Zealand musicians.
Receiving a standing ovation from a full house at the New Zealand Festival of the Arts in 2020, Shades of Shakti are an energetic acoustic ensemble that bridges the gap between traditional Indian music, classical and jazz. Inspired by Ravi Shankar’s East Meets West and John McLaughlin’s 1970s Shakti project, Shades of Shakti’s performances combine intricate fast dynamic melodies, virtuosic rhythms, and hypnotic sonorities. They are a collaboration that seeks to unite communities, celebrating human diversity through music.
The musicians of the ensemble are:
Sangeet Mishra (India) comes from a long line of sarangi masters from India’s holiest city, Varanasi. Considered a child prodigy, Sangeet has endeavoured to revive ancient musical styles. An innovative musician, Sangeet plays sarangi with an enchanting purity.
Justin Firefly Clarke (NZ) is a respected guitar virtuoso of many stripes. Seven years in Berlin saw Justin gain repute as a lynchpin for fusing different musical languages, winning numerous awards for these collaborations in festivals across Europe.
Basant Madhur (India) is a much-respected artist of classical Indian music. Born into a family of musicians, he is an approved Indian Radio & Television performing artist. He moved to New Zealand in 2002.
Tristan Carter (NZ) is an extremely talented and versatile violinist who has worked with Atlas Ensemble in Amsterdam and traditional musicians in Bangalore, and many jazz and new music ensembles of Aotearoa.
Thomas Friggens (NZ) is a powerful and virtuoso drummer who straddles multiple musical worlds effortlessly and has been an integral member of the premier percussion group, Strike, as well as numerous Wellington ensembles such as Sulco d’Alma and Bazurka.
Tickets available here.

CANCELLED // Public Talk Zen Buddhism
2023-07-07 19:00 - 20:30
UPDATE – 7th July – 11am. EVENT CANCELLED.
Sadly, due to covid the event tonight and the workshop tomorrow can no longer go ahead. If you wish to contact the local Zen Group please contact Gwitha on 021 121 8133.

————–
In this evening talk, we’ll explore the intimate relationship between how we live our lives each day and our meditation and spiritual practice. The speaker, Geoffrey ShugenArnold, Roshi, is the head of the Mountains
and Rivers Order, and abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in upstate New York.
Friday 7 July, 2023
7pm-8.30pm
ENTRY BY DONATION/KOHA
More events: www.zen.org.nz

Brett Hallam Holland
2023-07-02 16:00
Composer and guitarist shares his outlook and refection of life through a mix of vocal and instrumental tunes. His songs cover topics from social issues (Who Gave The Right To Frack) to natural disasters (Shaky Isles) to unnatural disasters (Flooding In Nashville) to loss and love (World Of Goodbyes). A bit of humour is also thrown in the mix (Monday Morning Blues). His style is eclectic drawing on popular, blues, jazz and country themes.

Having been mentored by guitar great Tommy Emmanuel, he deftly adds modern fingerstyle techniques to create an engaging and dynamic repertoire. Brett has performed extensively in Australia and the U.S, having opened for Andy McKee (Hawaii) and Eric Skye (Santa Cruz Art Of The Guitar). He has shared the same bill as Joe Robinson and Martin Taylor (Chet Atkins Convention). Also, has recorded 5 albums and written music for a musical (Will the Lost Years) performed at Motueka High School 2010.

Now living back locally and playing in various local projects: Rubber Biscuit (blues) Ampersand (jazz) and Fuse Box Social (original), he is eager to get back to his solo repertoire. Brett has tutored hundred of people and teaches music locally with strong emphasis on creativity. He has taught Callum Allardice ( Apra NZ Jazz composition of the year 3 times), Caleb Nott (the Broods), and Lewis Stephenson (Confidence Man, the Belligerents).

Door sales only – $15

Winter Solstice Celebration & Dance!
2023-06-30 18:30 - 22:00
This is a rare and special opportunity to create space within the busyness of your life to pause and tend to your inner fire!
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It symbolises the turning point when days begin to lengthen again, representing the rebirth of light and the gradual return of warmth and life. As a community, the Winter Solstice provides an opportunity to honor and celebrate this natural cycle, fostering a deeper connection with the rhythms of the Earth and ourselves.
We would love to invite you to join us, for an enriching solstice celebration to reflect,connect, release and renew.
The Evenings Schedule
6:30-7:45pm – Enriching Cacao Circle: (optional)
Let the warm elixir of cacao open your heart and connect you with the energy of the solstice. Led by ceremonialist and newbie Nelson Open Floor Teacher Jade, this nourishing cacao circle will invite you to pause, reflect and connect with the seasons of change, within and around you.
8-10pm – Solstice Dance: (optional)
Release on the dance floor. Seasoned and much loved DJ Hester will guide you through an irresistible set you can’t help but move too. Move freely and release anything that doesn’t serve this next season of rising light in your life.
Cost:
Cacao ceremony ( Only) – $30
Dance (Only) – $30
Or join us for both! Cacao & Dance – $45
Tickets Available Online here. Or on the door.

Nile Street Project
2023-06-25 16:00
With their blending sounds of chiming and softly percussive instruments The Nile Street Project are producing lushly harmonic and sonorous atmospheres with their interpretations of contemporary neoclassical compositions from around the world.
This trio from Whakatū/Nelson is producing modern music with clarity, restraint, and a light touch, with a focus of achieving more with less in a bid to provide their audiences with an experience of space, peace, and transparency amid the busyness of our modern world.
Their pieces come from around the globe and feature composers such as Luke Howard (AUS) and Nat Bartsch (AUS), through to Olafur Arnalds (ISL), Sebastian Morawietz (GER), Tristan Eckerson (USA), and Alexandra Strelinski (CAN).
Their music is lightly melodic, pleasingly harmonious, rich with heart and soul, and delivered by three highly experienced musicians with a deep love and respect for sonorous harmonic ambience.
Dan Callahan – vibraphone|percussion
Clare Monti – piano
Alvaro Saura – double bass|synthesizer
Tickets available via Hmanitix here.

The First Light Flower Essences Workshop
2023-06-17 - 2023-06-18
Patricia Stowell. has been a First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® Tutor since 2013 and is offering the First Light® training at Fairfield House in 2023. People come to the workshops for different reasons; some for self-healing, others to learn a holistic healing modality they can use with family, friends and/or clients.
The first workshop is First Light® Ferns – Life Trauma, June 17/18.
You may attend either or both days.
Modules covered include:

Holistic healing benefits of the 7 First Light® fern essences
How to maintain the energetic integrity of the aura
The 7 fundamental traumas, personal and collective
How to address traumas with First Light® fern essences
The grief cycle and how to naturally move faster through it

For more information or to book your spot feel free to contact me on +64 27 4697 191 or visit my website.

Thomas Loefke
2023-06-16 19:30
“I open the door, a cool wind blows in my face, and the sea smells better than ever. The sky is still grey, but the first rays of the sun are scattering on the horizon. I look forward to the new day…”

Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island – the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebridean Islands in the Northwest of Scotland or the wild archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated between the Shetlands and Iceland – these are the places where harpist and photographer Thomas Loefke spends a considerable amount of time every year to compose music. Dramatic coastal landscapes, the wide open space of the Atlantic ocean and the ever changing sky reflect in the pieces of music created there.

The tunes are accompanied by photographs Thomas took during his travels to the islands and by a bunch of amazing stories, a combination which makes this solo program a very entertaining show indeed.
Thomas learnt his trade in Dublin from Ireland’s leading harp players – Máire Ní Cháthasaigh, Helen Davies and Áine Ní Dhúill. Since 1984 he has been playing professionally and has won several international prizes, including first prize at the O’Carolan Harp Festival. He regularily tours with his band Norland Wind featuring Clannad’s Noel Duggan, with Riverdance-violinist Máire Breatnach, with Colorado based cello/guitar duo Acoustic Eidolon, with Faroese fiddle player Angelika Hansen as duo Norðan and as soloist.

Take a listen here.

TICKETS: Click here to reserve your spot.

First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® - Free Introductory Talk
2023-06-16 18:00 - 19:00
This is a free introductory talk. Come along to discover the holistic healing potential of the First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® for you and your loved ones.
Hosted by Patricia Stowell and followed by a workshop on June 17/18 also hosted at Fairfield House. more information below:
About Patricia & the workshop:
I have been a First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® Tutor since 2013 and I am thrilled to be offering the First Light® training at Fairfield House in 2023. People come to the workshops for different reasons; some for self-healing, others to learn a holistic healing modality they can use with family, friends and/or clients.
The first workshop is First Light® Ferns – Life Trauma, June 17/18 hosted at Fairfield House.You may attend either or both days.
Modules covered include:

Holistic healing benefits of the 7 First Light® fern essences
How to maintain the energetic integrity of the aura
The 7 fundamental traumas, personal and collective
How to address traumas with First Light® fern essences
The grief cycle and how to naturally move faster through it

For more information feel free to contact me or visit my website

Ampersand Local Jazz Trio
2023-05-28 16:00
Local jazz trio Ampersand are offering up their flavour of jazz at Fairfield House.

The band consists of:
Brett Holland (guitar and vocals),
Fraser Campbell (bass)
Tony Bowater (drums).

They perform a mix of vocal tunes and instrumental songs. For NZ Music Month they will be performing some original tunes, premiering two new tunes, an instrumental called Majority and a vocal penned Fly In The Salad.

The three musicians first played together 15 years ago in the Mister Nobody Quintet, performing regularly on the local jazz scene, at the Nelson Jazz Festival and at the Nelson Arts Festival.
With Brett moving back to the area, he and Tony rekindled the jazz flame and are thrilled Fraser has recently joined them, debuting earlier this year at the Founders Jazz in the Park series.
They perform a handful of original tunes along with their take on standards by Herbie Hancock and John Scofield among others.
Come join us for a late afternoon jazz session with some of Nelson’s best in a ballroom concert with autumn colours ablaze.

Thai Yoga Massage Weekend Course
2023-05-20 - 2023-05-21
This two-day course is designed to give you the understanding and tools to deliver a balanced and powerful Thai Yoga Massage.
Ideal for yoga practitioners, massage/beauty therapists, and anyone interested in learning massage for the first time.
We will learn and apply a full 60-minute Thai Yoga Massage sequence utilizing yoga postures, passive stretching, acupressure, energy work, massage and meditation to assist people in reducing tension, enhancing flexibility, experiencing deep relaxation, and improving overall well-being. You will incorporate the fundamentals of effortless, flowing transitions between postures, and learn how to maintain proper body alignment and apply energy balance through Thai Sen lines.
The training session is an introduction to general concepts of Thai Massage and gives the participants an opportunity to train hands on discovering the craft of manual therapy.
Study Areas:
– The four foundations of Thai yoga massage (awareness, body mechanics, movement, and massage techniques using hands, knees, feet, and elbows)
– Effortless transitions between postures
– An introduction to contraindications and safety
– An introduction to Manual Therapy and what it means to work with the soft tissues of the human body
– Care for the client and therapist before, during, and after the massage
– Massage for shoulders, head, back, arms, hands, legs, abdomen, and feet
– Incorporate 45+ new postures into your practice
– Understand and apply treatments with Sen Lines
Thai Yoga Massage Is an ancient technique used to unblock energy stagnation and awaken our inner healer. This is achieved through both pressure on the energy lines (Nadis) and movements of the body and joins based on Yoga Asanas.
It embraces people of all backgrounds who feel drawn to it as a transformative practice. Most importantly, the practice is not just about some exercises; it´s about giving from the heart with compassion.
What To Expect From The Course:
– The workshop will focus on the basic fundamentals that relate to posture, body mechanics, and benefits.
– These sessions will cover technics and positions that work with the general body.
– The therapy does not require any oil or cream and the therapist/recipient will be wearing comfortable clothes. Bring your yoga mat and a smile.
– No experience with massage or yoga necessary.
Saturday 20th May 10.30am to 6pm
Sunday 21st May 10.30am to 4.30pm.
About the Facilitator:

Gab has 20+ years doing massage professionally. He worked in several SPAS in Rotorua for many years and has been trained in Thai Massage in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He also recently qualified as a Yoga Teacher in India and combining his two passions he teaches Thai Yoga Massage. He has trained over 350 students in recent years.

The last four courses were fully booked and places are very limited so secure your placement to avoid missing out. To register or for more info please visit the website. https://www.gabmassage.com/nelson-may-23

Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields
2023-05-16 19:30
Your Heart of Gold” is the hook, laden debut single from Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields from their forthcoming album, due for release in 2024. The song finds the duo trading verses over a bevy of acoustic instruments, where a golden sunset frames the troubadours out on the open road, nostalgia running deep between them.
“With you I feel like a child again
Like when the rain came down in the summertime
Bare Feet on warm pavement
And all the hope in my heart”

With multiple awards to their names and thousands of miles between them, Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields are bonafide masters of their craft, having discovered a natural chemistry as performers, the union of their songwriting enables them to explore new depths in their music.
Their ragged edge comes steeped in Alt-Country influences, building their sound around acoustic instruments and honest songwriting while devouring records from Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Tracy Chapman. Grant lee Phillips, Dave Dobbyn and Neil Finn.
Matt Joe Gow grew up in Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand, a place with bad weather and good music, meanwhile Kerryn Fields was raised in the North Island with one hand on guitar and the other firmly upon her heart. A kindred connection with their homeland brings an emotive strength to their music and gives their songs a sense of place and purpose.
“The combined talents of both these two artists is really a perfect match and the chance to see them performing together should not be missed” – Myles O’Neil-Shaw PBS FM
Celebrated artists in Australia, Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields are Music Victoria Award winners for their respective solo records and nave appeared on festival stages such as Port Fairy Folk Festival, Out On The Weekend, Queenscliff Music Festival, Riverboats, Kangaroo Valley Folk
Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Out On The Green and Tamworth Country Music Festival. See them take the stage together as they bring their live show home to Aotearoa to celebrate their debut release in conjunction with NZ music month!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NT1jgPdjHI

Spin a Story
2023-05-14 13:00 - 16:00
Spin a Story, supported by NCC. Sunday 14th May 1pm til 4pm – story telling workshop at Fairfield House with Roger Sanders (who has just been travelling with Arts on Tour NZ with his amazing puppet show, Boy With Wings with Birdlife Theatre company) supported by Nikkie Karki.
The workshop will lead to a show on Fri 23rd June, Fairfield house. The workshop will help youth 11 to 18 years to learn to;
Tell engaging stories from their own lives (we will help you shape and create these stories with follow up mentor sessions too) to be performed in and around Fairfield House on 23rd June. Free to participate. Contact Nikkie 0273468892 or cre8theatrecompany@yahoo.co.nz

We Mavericks
2023-05-12 19:30
Tickets @ undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/19868/We-Mavericks-Live-In-Concert.utr
Returning to Aotearoa this May, We Mavericks pack mighty punches, but bring songs to heal your scars. Featuring only a foot-stomping Kiwi and a small-town Australian, this troubadour duo make music that is more than the sum of its parts.
They’re every bit as dynamic as they look: Lindsay Martin’s masterful violin, mandolin and vocals meet Victoria Vigenser’s mesmerising voice and guitar work, in driving rhythms and a connectedness you must see to believe. Imagine an organic blend of lyrical pop and acoustic folk, but with echoes of soulful Americana in the harmonies, and Celtic roots running deeply throughout the instrumentation.
A certain trademark tightness and their strangely gritty, evocative performances have seen them on a steep and fast rise to the big stages in both home countries; Spotlight showcase artists for Folk Alliance International 2022, nominated Aotearoa (NZ) Music Awards “Best Folk Artist” 2022, nominated Australian Folk Music Awards Artists of the Year, Best Duo/Group/Ensemble 2021 and recipients of the 2020 Troubadour Foundation Award, We Mavericks continue to enthrall audiences far and wide. Touring their keenly-awaited debut album “Grief’s a Gardener” they bring connected and grounding originals that can melt even the hardest of hearts.
“He has a familiar soft folk tenor. She has a strong ringing tone with muscle behind a clear crystalline voice… The violin cries for her and the harmony vocals are divine… We Mavericks are a serendipitous pairing…” 13th Floor, NZ 2022
“… the glorious harmonies and touching melodies of We Mavericks…Together they craft exquisite folk music, evoking spirits originating from Appalachia to Alba” Ambient Light, NZ 2022
Pre book $20 & bf. undertheradar.co.nz/ticket/19868/We-Mavericks-Live-In-Concert.utr
Door sales $25

Lachy Hamilton Trio
2023-03-26 19:30
Lachy Hamilton Trio, features
Harry Morrison – Double Bass
Patrick Danao – Drums
Lachy Hamilton – Saxophone / Compositions
Hailing from the small community on Scotland Island, Sydney, Australia, Lachy Hamilton began playing the piano at the age of four. Taking up the clarinet, and then saxophone soon after, his musical journey has taken him around the world performing with the likes of James Morrison, Wycliffe Gordon, Kate Ceberano, James Muller, Sarah McKenzie, Patti Austin, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and many more.
In March 2019, Hamilton released his debut album ‘Alchemy’. Inspired by Paolo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, the album features the talents of Australia’s brightest up and coming musicians.
“[The Alchemist’s] ‘Urim and Thummin’ spawns a Hamilton tenor solo showing a striking ability to alchemise a liquid flow of ideas into a much more robust and compelling statement.” – John Shand (SMH 2019).
As James Morrison says: “with Hamilton, the future of jazz is in good hands”.

Tom Rodwell: Wood & Waste Album release tour
2023-03-23 19:30
Tickets @Humanitix
Auckland singer-guitarist, blues musician and writer Tom Rodwell isn’t as well known as he should be, unless you read the fine print on recordings by Coco Davis and Don McGlashan’s last Lucky Stars.
But his Wood & Waste is a delightful and sometimes dark journey from downbeat electric blues (Don’t Be a Fugitive All Your Life) through idiosyncratic funk (Keep on Knockin’), slippery exotica (Plenty Time bringing West African juju guitars to where Harry Nilsson and Ry Cooder find common ground) and earthy slide guitar blues (the steamy Touch Me Like a Teddy Bear).
Here too is the rolling Caribbean simmer of She Got Me Boiling (cannibalism for your dancing shoes), addictively supple pop (Make Believe) and ethereal guitar paralleling the reflective, exceptionally beautiful Dead End Road.
Rodwell – whose guitar playing has the warmth and fluidity of J.J. Cale and Bill Frisell or the grit of a Chicago blues bruiser – delights in the oblique: Keep on Knockin’ mentions 19thcentury British polymath William Morris and American painter Edward Hopper.
By saying less (Small Town), Tom Rodwell offers understated ideas which often hit head, heart and feet simultaneously.
An English artist based in New Zealand, Rodwell’s vision of post-blues as dance music has been supple enough to
embrace rhythms from spirituals and calypso, and seen him support acts like Otis Taylor, C.W. Stoneking and Leon
Russell. (“Beautiful tunes, beautiful groove—you don’t hear that anymore,” said Derek Trucks). A parallel career
as a session player has seen him moonlight live and on record for artists as diverse as Lonnie Holley, Robert Lamm and Don McGlashan, as well as various avant-jazz projects.
It’s an eclectic, danceable (even solo) show, going from raucous to moody and back, and generally a good time for all bohemians. So come groove in the Fairfield Ballroom

Tattletale Saints
2023-03-19 19:30
Tickets @ Eventfinda

Expat Americana duo Tattletale Saints return home in March to celebrate the release of their new album, In the Summertime, out on March 3rd.

On the 2023 release, Cy Winstanley (vocals/guitar) and Vanessa McGowan (vocals/bass) dive deep into old set lists, with fresh takes of everything from old country traditional s and bluegrass to reggae and 70’s pop.

Bill Monroe famously declared you couldn’t tell if a band was any good unless you heard them play something you already knew. On their new album, the Saints take the father of bluegrass to heart with a collection of cover songs that celebrate the diverse sound audiences have been falling in love with since the band’s first New Zealand tour in 2010.

The Auckland-born duo moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2014 and have built flourishing careers as session players in Music City. Individually, they tour and record with various Americana and country acts, and together for multi-Grammy nominated artist Brandy Clark.

Tattletale Saints won the Aotearoa Music Award for Folk in 2014 and 2021, plus a nomination for Silver Scroll in 2013. The 2023 New Zealand tour also celebrates the vinyl release of Dancing Under The Dogwoods, released in 2020 and the winner of the 2021 Aotearoa Music Award.

“Intelligent, entertaining, and thoroughly captivating”  Sing Out! Magazine

“Beautiful organic folk songs…shimmers like an Indian summer afternoon”  Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“There is a timeless quality to the Tattletale Saints’ music, simultaneously classic roots and modern revival, placing them alongside the more notable artists of today’s scene. There are elements of folk, good old Appalachia-style music, and a splash of country in their sound, too, which they do exceedingly well. And this all comes together to create well-written songs with stirring vocals” No Depression
“Sensitively understated folk and subtle simplicity…songs as memorable, lyrically considered and melodically engaging as many of Paul Simon’s…a very emotionally engaging album”  Graham Reid, elsewhere.co.nz

“Cy is a beautiful singer, melodic yet conversational, and a vocal resemblance to Paul Simon is only heightened by the ambitiousness of his songwriting…in the unadorned setting of the duo it becomes clear how complete that talent is”  Nick Bollinger

https://youtu.be/t32E9cNALzE

JUKE JOINT Concert CANCELLED
2023-03-05 16:00 - 19:00
Due to heavy rain forecast it has been decided to cancel this concert. Apologies for any inconvenience!
Formed in late 2020, Jukejoint is a Nelson band playing electric blues and old-school R & B, with a touch of Americana.
Inspiration comes from such Blues legends as Jimmy Reed, Paul Butterfield, Bo Diddley, Junior Wells, Billy Boy Arnold, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, The Rolling Stones, Keb Mo and numerous others. Our Set List includes all-time favourites Way Down in the Hole, Route 66, Muskrat, Born in Chicago and Mystery Train.
Relatively new to the Nelson music scene, the band has a formative association with the recently formed Tasman Bay Blues Club.
JukeJoint performed an exciting 3hr set in the Fairfield Courtyard back in November 2022 on a drizzly Sunday afternoon and people came and danced in the rain. This time it’s goin to be a Sunny Sunday afternoon so come along in your dancin shoes and rock to their fabulously enticing beat.
Bar operating & Food cart onsite catchya here!

Esther Swift
2023-02-19 19:30
Esther Swift explores ritual, connection, isolation, and the natural world in her performance with pedal harp and voice.
A prolific, boldly innovative Scottish harpist, composer and singer, Esther works across genres as diverse as classical chamber music and free improvisation and writes for ensembles large and small.
Having studied at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School and the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as with harp pioneer Catriona McKay, she has received numerous prestigious commissions and featured in many international collaborations.
Esther has traveled to Vietnam, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mongolia, and beyond with her music, and shared international, music lead collaborations with musicians and other artists around the world.
She has recently been commissioned by Celtic Connections, Chamber Music Scotland, Manchester Jazz Festival and The Edwin Morgan trust and performed internationally with her band Emergence Ensemble.
Esther performed on her debut New Zealand Tour in Feb 2018 to a sell out Fairfield concert in the middle of a wild storm.. Esther, a prolific songwriter, with a deep love of Scotland, specifically the Scottish Borders, where she grew up, lets nature continually inspire and influence her music
TICKETS @ HUMANITIX

Rekindle Whakatū
2023-02-19 09:30 - 16:30
The beautiful Fairfield grounds are full of stunning tī kōuka/cabbage trees which willingly shed their leaves, a gratefully received resource for us humans. Come along and learn how to create your own tī kōuka basket, light shade or string at a Rekindle Whakatū Workshop.
Sunday Feb 19th @ Fairfield
9.30 – 4pm light shade with Gemma Stratton
9.30 – 1.30pm Basket with Annie McKenzie
2.30 – 4pm String with Annie McKenzie
This course will give you a resourceful skill that you’ll be able to use in so many ways for the rest of your life!
We will be using tī kōuka/cabbage tree leaves in this workshop as these are such an abundant and multi-purpose material that we can find all around us. The techniques taught in this workshop originate in Europe and the UK. To learn more about tī kōuka and how we work with it, click HERE.
Annie Mackenzie learnt tī kōuka string-making at Rekindle some time ago and and tī kōuka basket making from Gemma Stratton this year, alongside maintaining an artistic practice as a weaver and spinner, with hand hewn frugalness part of the evolving equation.
When she is not weaving at her loom, Annie can be found haunting wool sales and shearing sheds, tracing connections and gaining fleeces.
Annie has a bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Ilam School of Fine Arts, but learnt her craft through the New Zealand Woolcrafts Association of Weavers and Spinners Guilds.
Gemma Stratton now based in Te Tai o Aorere/Tasman, has been a resident craftsperson at Rekindle. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Canterbury School of Fine Arts, and weaves her long-held dedication to resourcefulness into everything she touches. Gemma’s time in the Rekindle workshop developing brushes and lightshades was funded by Creative New Zealand.
Bookings @ Rekindle Whatatū
Cancellations:
We are reliant on reaching minimum numbers to cover the costs of running workshops in Whakatū Nelson. Therefore, bookings are strictly non-refundable unless we can be advised in enough time to be able to sell your ticket to someone else.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you think you may not make it so we can try to do this for you. You may also choose to transfer your booking to another name. If Rekindle needs to cancel the workshop for any reason, you will be fully refunded
We are grateful to be able to offer this workshop because of support from Fairfield House and Creative New Zealand.

Sonia & Nigel "Sweet Paname"
2023-02-12 19:30
Tickets @ HUMANITIX
Sonia and Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals & ukulele and Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar.
They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world.
In December Sonia & Nigel released ” Sweet Paname ” their first bilingual French/English duo album produced by John Egenes in Dunedin. The album features recognizable and well-loved traditional Chanson Francaise & more modern French cover songs & original songs by Sonia.
The accompanying book features lyrics, stories, photos and custom-made song illustrations by 15 different artists that Sonia met on her travels between Paris and New Zealand.
Fairfield will host this talented duo in an intimate Ballroom concert promising a delightful evening accompanied with wine & french taste treats

Sonia & Nigel 2nd Workshop
2023-02-12 14:00 - 15:30
Sonia and Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals & ukulele and Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar. They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world.
A focus on Music & Healing Workshop with Sonia Wilson
To register Ph. 035483640 or email gather@fairfieldnelson.org.nz

Sonia & Nigel "Workshops"
2023-02-12 11:00 - 12:30
Sonia and Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals & ukulele and Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar. They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world.
Sonia & Nigel will lead two different workshops on Sunday 12th
11am to 12.30pm The Art of Music Practice Workshop
with Nigel Gavin & Sonia Wilson
To register Ph. 035483640 or email gather@fairfieldnelson.org.nz

Mark Lockett ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ NZ Album release tour
2023-02-10 20:00
Powerhouse drummer or tasteful timekeeper, you decide. Top New Zealand drummer Mark Lockett is set to release his seventh album, ‘Swings and Roundabouts’. Recorded recently in New York, a chordless quartet also featuring top NY heavyweights David Binney, Duane Eubanks and Matt Penman. Masterful improvisations in a cutting-edge setting.
During lockdown Lockett penned nine original compositions inspired by his love of the past, jazz giant Ornette Coleman and drawing on the modern sound of his contemporaries.
Album will be released on 01 Feb 2023 and to celebrate Mark is embarking on a nine-concert nationwide tour. Lockett has assembled a smok’n quartet for this outing which features saxophonist Roger Manins, trumpeter James Guilford, bassist Daniel Yeabsley and Lion-heart Lockett on drums.
So, “Lockett in” for an intimate gig in the Ballroom at Fairfield House.
And as always Mark & his quartet will deliver a night to remember!
TICKETS @ HUMANITIX
NZ Tour Swings & Roundabout – SD 480p (1)
