Who pays for the Lunchtime Concerts, how much it costs and why we welcome your support
St Andrew’s has been a landmark on The Terrace for well over a century. The current location at 30 The Terrace lies in the heart of the government sector. We are an active faith community and music is an integral part of our mission to the city.
As noted in the history of the Lunchtime Concerts, Rev John Murray began the concerts 1975 and they have become a regular feature of life in the city. People sometimes ask, are the musicians paid? The musicians have always performed pro-bono. We have a waiting list and a few years ago added occasional Thursday lunchtime concerts due to demand. For the musicians there is intrinsic value in the performance opportunity and the joy of performing in this lovely space. The regular audience is both discerning and appreciative.
Our office staff support Kris Zuelicke, our Lunchtime Concert Coordinator, and the volunteer hosts by helping advertise and produce the weekly programme.
St Andrew’s on The Terrace is proud to own three instruments: the Croft pipe organ, the baroque or chamber organ and the Steinway grand piano. All three instruments are regularly tuned and maintained and feature in the Lunchtime Concerts. The Croft organ was restored in 2020 and 2021 at the cost of $500,000. Smaller upgrades of the Steinway and baroque organ have also been completed within the last five years to a total cost of $14,000. All three instruments are used extensively during the lunchtime concerts.
St Andrew’s church is a Category 1 Heritage Building as designated by Heritage New Zealand. Wellington City Council lists St Andrew’s on The Terrace as one of the top small music venues in the city. The church is part of a larger property, substantially upgraded between 2008 and 2014, which includes the hall building, offices, meeting rooms and the Green Room. The property is owned by the Presbyterian Property Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The St Andrew’s Parish is wholly responsible for the maintenance of these facilities, consistent with the practice for Presbyterian church properties throughout the country. This is quite a tall order for a relatively small Parish. Annual running costs, which include insurance, repairs, and maintenance as well as heating and lighting, amount to $280,000. All costs have risen substantially during recent years, especially insurance, which we are required to hold.
Hosting the Lunchtime Concert costs the Parish $22,000 per year. We are most grateful to Professor Jack C. Richards for his generous donation towards the concerts. We appreciate any contribution towards the Lunchtime Concert series.
During 2025 we will embark on a project to raise the funds to improve disability access into the church which we hope will be good for concert goers as well as everyone else who comes into the church.
October 2024