A visiting American choir will sing in Howick next month to help restore one of the oldest churches in Auckland.
The Oregon Chorale, a 35-voice choir from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, performs at All Saints’ Anglican Church on Friday 7 August.
The concert raises money for the Selwyn Church Restoration Fund.
All Saints’ was built in 1847 and is registered as a Category 1 historic place by Heritage New Zealand.
It was the first building erected in Howick, completed before the town’s Fencible settlers arrived.
The church was prefabricated at St John’s College, then moved to its site by boat and by hand and put together on the hill overlooking the Hauraki Gulf.
Bishop George Augustus Selwyn chose the site and the architect Frederick Thatcher designed it.
It is the only surviving prefabricated Selwyn church, one of a group of timber churches built around Auckland in the mid-1800s under Bishop Selwyn.
The church has been added to over the years, with its aisle duplicated in 1862 and a belfry built in 1893, giving it an unusual double-aisled look.
The choir’s programme, “Into the West, A Choral Journey of Voice, Land and Connection”, ranges from Brahms to Bob Dylan.
It is conducted by Jason Sabino, a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician.
“Come and be inspired while supporting the restoration of one of New Zealand’s treasured heritage churches,” the parish said.
All Saints’ Anglican Church is at 17 Selwyn Road, Howick.
The parish office can be reached on (09) 534 6864 or at office@allsaintshowick.org.nz.
The concert is one of several fundraising efforts the parish has underway, including money for the Seasons for Growth programme, which supports people through change, loss and grief.
