Ireland's new law and Jack Body's Memorial

Sunday yawns with a promise of blue skies and no wind, bliss! And it is a day where the first news is good news, that is, Ireland has vehemently decided in favour of legalising gay marriage, something which I had secretly predicted.

I was in Dublin three years ago and such a cosmopolitan happy city I had rarely seen. It is very akin to Wellington I have now discovered, after two years in this wonderful town. Naturally it is just a little more cosmopolitan, but the spirit is the same. Young, carefree, and 'can-do', these are the great similarities of these two cities. Of course the Irish vibe is alive and well in Wellie, and the chance to follow NZ's sensible  and only sane decision to legalise same sex marriages was a no-brainer, it had to happen. And now it has, and I think to the great shame of its larger patronising partners Great Britain and Australia. So a big congratulations to the Republic of Ireland. Poor Northern Ireland, whatever will happen there, England's neglected step-daughter. 

This tiny green isle has had such a turbulent history because of religious wars one wonders how anyone can countenance having religion play a role in politics, ever!

Four happy customers leaving Memphis

Jon Stevens regretting a few things.....poor Kiwi rock star, in refuge in Sydney, but at Point Piper with Jodhi Meares, not a good recipe I'm afraid!

An endemic problem in NZ, silence about mistakes..

My dream stay in Wellie - at the Museum Art hotel

Sunny day, blues skies for Jack Body's Memorial

After a rare Sunday coffee at the very busy Memphis, I am off to St Andrew's, again, but this time for a Memorial Funeral service for the late and great composer and teacher, Jack Body. I want to get there early to secure a good seat as I know it is going to be very full and also a musical spectacle to remember. Jack apparently was a stickler to have organised his wake to the last detail.

And then on to St Jame's Theatre to see the excellent NZ Ballet dance a set of ballets in commemoration of the World War One saga. Called  'Salute', it should be good and I hope the seats have good vision, not behind a pole! J. has organised some seats for all her friends so I will be with a bunch of mad balletomanes.

Well, the ballets were superb, really world class productions and most enjoyable indeed. Abigail, Matt's girlfriend, was impeccable, as they all were, and the variety and contrast of the four short pieces were a delight to behold. I moved seats at half time to be closer and my neighbour happened to be a Sydney woman, mother of one of male dancers, John Hull. Interestingly he had begun his career at the tender age of six, with Sydney Dance Company when I was working with them in 'Poppy', one of the many great successes of Graeme and Janet and one I knew very well. It's a small world!

So it was an excellent and exciting night of top creativity and yet another Salute to New Zealand Ballet!

And now to the Memorial Concert for Jack Body, a great artist whom I saw once only at the Michael Fowler Centre when he was already in an advanced state of ill health, with cancer.

The church was full and the program written by Jack himself, so it was naturally representative of his favourite and best work. The Indonesian Gamelans featured strongly as Jack had introduced them to 

New Zealand in the eighties. A String Quartet also played, and two wonderful female singers sang beautifully. It was ninety minutes dedicated to Jack, who, himself, had dedicated his whole life to his many adoring students. It was a fitting Valé to Jack Body, and we all then went for a reception with delicious 'kai' in the adjoining room.

I knew a few people, friends of J, and I stayed just long enough for a chat but also I had the pleasure of meeting Yono, Jack's Indonesian partner of forty years. He was a delightful gentle man.

Jack Body's Memorial...one to remember!