Venue Profile

St Andrew’s is considered to have the best acoustics of any performance space of its type in Wellington.

Free lunchtime concerts: These go back to the 1960s when school choirs performed. With the gift of the fine Steinway, the concerts have gone from strength to strength. The opportunity to perform at the church is invaluable, especially to young musicians. Wellington professional musicians, and occasional visiting musicians, also enjoy performing at St Andrew’s. These concerts have traditionally paid no fee to musicians, and are free to their audiences, although donations are warmly welcomed. They are also, in effect, free to the performers as St Andrew’s on The Terrace provides a venue, pays for publicity and “supplies” an audience. These concerts are advertised in Capital Times a week ahead; broadcast on Radio New Zealand Concert’s Live Diary at around 8.10 am on the day of the concert; included in the Wellingtonian; and listed on St Andrew’s website and Wellington City Council’s Feeling Great recreation and events site www.feelinggreat.co.nz/music.

St Andrew’s on The Terrace mostly hosts classical music, but occasional gospel/choral/jazz concerts are held.

Regular concerts (quarterly or annual) are presented by the Bach Choir, Michael Mohaghan Young Musicians Foundation, New Zealand Opera Society, Pelorus Trust Wellington Brass Band, Sonata Celebration competitions (Institute of Registered Music Teachers), Wagner Society, Wellington Chamber Orchestra, Wellington Suzuki Branch, Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, and many more.

2006 and 2007 concerts, recitals and fundraisers include the Tony Backhouse Choir (Café of the Gate of Salvation), Boutique Opera, Suor Angelica, Wellington Community Choir and Wellington Male Voice Choir, 175 East, Cantoris and Stroma. In February 2007, St Andrew’s was the venue for the Asia Pacific Festival’s International Lunchtime Concert Series and other concerts.

St Andrew’s is also used for recordings by Radio New Zealand and in December 2006, was the venue for National Radio’s recording of The Little Bushmen.

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