Christchurch Transitional Cathedral - 23rd October 2024

The band was asked at very short notice to play at a dinner being held at the Transitional Cathedral in Christchurch for archivists from all over the Pacific region who were holding their 2024 conference in the city. We were very pleased to be able to provide over an hour and a half of music for this event, and to play in what has become an iconic building in Christchurch - a new experience for most of the band.

The band ready to commence its programme.

The Christchurch Transitional Cathedral (sometimes referred to as the Cardboard Cathedral) was built as a temporary spiritual home for the Anglican congregation whose cathedral was badly damaged during the February 2011 earthquake. It was designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban (who provided his time pro bono) in collaboration with the famous Christchurch firm of architects Warren and Mahoney. The building is ‘semi permanent’, being designed to last about 50 years. It was opened in August 2013.

The original project plan for the reinstatement of the damaged Christchurch Cathedral had the restoration work finishing at the end of 2027. That project has now been put on hold due to lack of funds after it was established that the damage was greater than previously anticipated and would cost in excess of $100 million dollars more to complete. The old (1904) cathedral is currently being put into mothballs with no planned date for the restoration work to restart, and so the Cardboard Cathedral could be serving the Anglican community for many years to come.

Christchurch Cathedral on 23rd February 2011, the day after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake which destroyed much of the city.