Music in Parks celebrates 15th anniversary

Top New Zealand music will be showcased at Auckland City Council’s free Music in Parks summer concerts, kicking off in January.

This season marks 15 years of the council proudly providing free Kiwi music in our city’s stunning parks and reserves.

The 2008 programme features more than 40 concerts made up of four series - Summer Sounds, The Culture Garden, Drake Jazz at the Rotunda, and new this year, Movies in Parks.

Summer Sounds sees a number of headline acts including Don McGlashan, Greg Johnson, Scribe, P Money, Ardijah, SJD, One Million Dollars and Midge Marsden, set to the backdrop of some of Auckland’s most spectacular parks.

The Culture Garden serves up a wide range of niche musical genres in Auckland’s more intimate outdoor settings and is the perfect opportunity to discover new music. Venues include Jellicoe Park, the Wintergardens, Alberton House, Dingle Dell Reserve, Highwic and Monte Cecilia Park, with performances from Kantuta, Whirimako Black, Bravura, the New Zealand Opera and more.

A particular highlight in this series is the man who got New Zealand rocking. The “Wanganui Wailer” - Johnny Devlin – will perform with the Tornadoes and special guest Ray Columbus.

If dancing is your cup of tea, check out The Culture Garden afternoon Tea Dances, which feature the opportunity to enjoy a range of early 20th century musical dance styles from dixie and swing to Cuban charanga.

Jazz is on the menu every Sunday at the Auckland Domain Band Rotunda. This year, the Drake Jazz at the Rotunda series boasts 12 jazz concerts featuring the musical talents of Roger Manins, the Murray McNabb Quartet, Mojave, Thrive and more.

An exciting new addition in 2008 is Movies in Parks – a series of midweek classic Kiwi films screening in Mt Eden’s Tahaki Reserve. The line-up of movies includes Whale Rider, Sione’s Wedding, Sleeping Dogs, Goodbye Pork Pie and The World’s Fastest Indian.

Each film will be projected after sunset onto a large inflatable screen, with live New Zealand music setting the scene before dusk.

The Music in Parks series is produced by Auckland City Council, sponsored by Drake International and supported by New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), The Lion Foundation, Radioworks, 95bFM, Mission Bay The Promenade and Ecover.

Visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/mips for full Music in Parks programme details.

ENDS

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