After 36 years of conducting in Nelson, deputy mayor Pete Rainey is hanging up the baton so he can devote more time to revitalising the central city.
“I really want to concentrate on this new role as chair of the city revitalisation taskforce, which is ramping up a bit,” he says.
“Even though [conducting] is just one thing during the week, it is something takes quite a lot of preparation time, and it consumes quite a lot of the day.”
Pete started his conducting career in 1990 with the Nelson Male Voice Choir, though he had been conducting earlier at varsity in Christchurch.
He has toured internationally with the National Male Voice Choir, of which he was the founding director, and has continued conducting since he was first elected to Nelson City Council in 2007.
Highlights of his conducting career include the Nelson Civic Choir’s opening concert for the refurbished Nelson School of Music auditorium in 2018, a project which he had strongly supported.
Deciding to step down was a difficult decision, he says.
“I really enjoy conducting. It’s a specialist field, it’s incredibly rewarding, and it’s challenging mentally… even as a 66-year-old, I’m still learning stuff about conducting every time I stand in front of a choir, and I find that really, really exhilarating.”
But he says that it is time to stand aside and let some younger people step up as he throws himself into city revitalisation work, which demanded greater attention.
“It’s not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about how we approach activity in the central city. It’s an exciting time, and there are certainly things happening, which I think are going to be really great for Nelson.”
With the Elma Turner Library “coming to the end of its useful life”, and Civic House in “desperate need of a revamp”, the council was planning a new facility that combined the functions of a civic centre, library, and community hub.
“Doing nothing is not an option.”
Pete expected location and costing options to be put before the council in the coming weeks, before they were then put out for public consultation.
“We do need to think about the future of the city and the kind of facilities that we’re putting in place, so I’m pretty excited by the project… it’s going to be really great for the city.”
Acknowledging that “times are tough”, Pete says it was important that councils continued investing in their cities to stimulate economic activity.
He highlighted the Bridge to Better upgrade, which will provide infrastructure capacity for “thousands” more people to live in the city centre.
“It’s a challenge while it’s happening, and there’s no doubt about it – infrastructural upheaval, road works, and stuff – it’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s all pointing to the fact that progress is really happening,” Pete says.
“That’s a tremendously important and exciting thing for Nelson… the fact that we could be a more cosmopolitan city with people actually living in the city centre will make a massive difference to our city.”
Despite standing down as a conductor, Pete expects to continue singing in local choirs, and was hoping to be re-elected as the chair of the New Zealand Choral Federation at its upcoming annual general meeting.
He will also continue as musical director of Opera in the Park, with planning already underway for next February’s event.
His final concert as a conductor will be with the Chroma Chamber Choir as it performs ‘Monumental: Music for Choir and Organ’ at the Nelson Cathedral on Saturday, 2 May.
