Levin and Districts Brass is celebrating its 125th year and plans to see many more years with a new youth academy that could boost band numbers by at least 30. The band’s bass trombone player, Mat West, has offered to take over the current youth tutoring programme – the academy would be an extension of that programme. He ran a successful... Keep Reading
Damian Reid knew he’d found his people. Fairly new to town, he went along to watch the performance of Stiff at Levin Little Theatre earlier this year. The 50-year-old hadn’t been on stage for years, but after seeing the show he wanted in: “They were having so much fun on stage I got the itch to join in and tread the boards,... Keep Reading
Country singers from all over New Zealand will mosey into town for the annual Pounamu Country Music Awards this weekend. The lure for many is a chance to qualify for the NZ Entertainer of the Year Awards in Rotorua next year, as the winners in each category gain automatic entry. Long-time Pounamu club member Gordon Fletcher did just that in... Keep Reading
Shannon based artist Tracey Lidene says she loves watercolouring, but often uses other media to express herself. “I have always doodled but when my mum died in 2019, painting helped me deal with the grief.” Tracey is part of Art Trail Manawatū, running this weekend from 10am-2pm both days. She paints flowers, birds and people, and... Keep Reading
The Horowhenua Art Society has already decked out its Bath Street, Levin, gallery ready for Art Trail Manawatū, running on the weekend of October 18 and 19. During the trail weekend, members will be showcasing their varied talents, including watercolour painting, drawings, pen and ink drawing, oil painting, floral art, jewellery, cardmaking... Keep Reading
It’s not all afghans with chocolate icing and walnuts during rehearsals – there is a massive amount of work going on behind the scenes in preparation to get a show to stage at Levin Performing Arts Centre. Horowhenua Star was given a sneak peek ahead of opening night of Half-Time next Friday night (August 22) and was blown away by the... Keep Reading
The Levin and Districts Brass Band has come away from a national Festival Of Brass competition in Christchurch with a massive medal hall. The band had seven first placings, five second placings and was crowned Champion C Grade Brass Band of New Zealand. It’s now tipped to enter B-Grade next year for the first time in its 125-year... Keep Reading
A Levin church is booking top-class entertainment to ensure its stunning venue is shared widely with the community. The acoustics inside the Levin Uniting church means it lends itself brilliantly to music. Earlier this month the talented Wellington-based jazz trio Nick Granville, Lance Phillip, and Rory Macartney delivered a toe-tapping... Keep Reading
A popular Levin band with the coolest name ever is again supporting Levin Music Festival by playing a free gig in town tomorrow afternoon. Peanut Slab – arguably and quite possibly one of the coolest covers band ever, too – will bring their repertoire of reggae, funk and rock to a stage inside Kings Sound Centre. The band was... Keep Reading
A lightbulb idea to showcase local music and musicians on stages all over town has become an annual sound extravaganza that celebrates its 10th anniversary tomorrow. Apart from missing a year due to Covid-19, the Levin Music Festival has been celebrated every year since 2014, bringing a variety of performers and genres together. Back... Keep Reading
Firebird Café in Levin has a built a reputation for hosting musicians and poets in recent times, but this weekend it’s turning into a movie cinema for the night. Auckland-based filmmaker, cinema-owner and producer Robin Kewell is coming to Levin to present the special one-off screening of What About Me? there on Sunday night. It begged... Keep Reading
A young Levin dancer has turned heads at one of the biggest ballet competitions in the Southern Hemisphere. Niyah Henare-Pearson, 12, reached the quarterfinals at the Alana Haines Australasian Awards, competing against 380 of the best young dancers from New Zealand and Australia. Niyah’s dance teacher, Chantal Pinguet, says the Levin The... Keep Reading
Levin and Districts Brass, under musical director David Maas, is holding “A Matinée of Brass”, at 2pm on Sunday (April 13) at the Village Hall, Speldhurst. “The band is in fine musical form and set to deliver an outstanding performance for the community of Levin once again,” David says. “Audiences will be treated to a varied... Keep Reading
Levin painter Iris Reesby is currently exhibiting in Levin’s community centre, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō. She has a selection of stunning oil paintings on show of, among others, dogs, a horse, birds, hawks and falcons, owls, irisses, poppies, and a tui. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays she is there in person with her paint brushes... Keep Reading
Dean Murray – a man of many talents and one of Horowhenua’s best-kept secrets – is playing a gig at Levin Folk Music Hall next Friday night (February 14). The former freezing worker and school caretaker has worn a few hats … builder, environmentalist, gardener, fisherman, lead-lighter, luthier, jack of all trades, husband, father and... Keep Reading
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