The Lieder
Newsletter for the Christchurch Liedertafel Male Voice Choir.
Issue 9
March 2025
Editorial
Well unfortunately autumn is here and summer was a poor rendition fading into the past. Where did all those balmy summer nights go, sitting out after a BBQ in a warm breeze till late? I don’t think we had any, did we? Well, the year is advancing and our new facility is working well. I think the selection of music has led to resounding success at our rehearsals and the learning has been quite rapid, while enjoying what we are singing, and grasping the songs well. I look forward to rejoining you again as we move towards the concert. Thomas’s notes are a timely reminder of Anzac Day approaching and of our participation. It is a great thrill to be asked to perform at the dawn service when you consider all the choirs in Christchurch that could have been asked. Please consider your attendance as it is a great experience to be a part of.
Dates for your Diary
- Concert dates 2025
- May 4th, Aug 10th, Nov 30th
Choir Profiles
Jeff Hadfield
I am Jeff Hadfield a second tenor with LMVC for 10 years. Originally sang with a MVC in South Yorkshire UK for 30 y3ars. When my wife and I came to live here, the Liedertafel was a must for me, and I enjoy the fun, camaraderie, inspiring music and strong leadership. Singing provides a release from all other thoughts, an outpouring of pent-up emotions and the concerts are amongst the highlights if our year… do try it !!
Notes from the Podium
At our most recent committee meeting, we discussed our participation in the upcoming ANZAC Dawn Service. As we prepare for this significant event, we reflect on the importance of honouring those who have served and sacrificed. The Christchurch Liedertafel has a longstanding tradition of contributing to this solemn occasion—dating back to the announcement of the First World War, when the choir was invited to lead the public in patriotic songs, and again at the declaration of the war’s end.
This year, we will once again perform Pōkarekare Ana, a cherished Māori love song that has become a staple in our repertoire. Written around the time of World War I, its themes of longing and devotion resonate profoundly in remembrance ceremonies. Alongside this, we will sing Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand, as well as Eternal Father, adapted with lyrics associated with the army services. We are also preparing Dan Forrest’s arrangement of Great Is Thy Faithfulness, a hymn of reflection and gratitude that feels especially fitting for the occasion.
As we gather in the pre-dawn light, let us lend our voices to these melodies with the depth, expression, and dignity they deserve. This is a moment to honour, remember, and connect through music—something we are privileged to contribute to each year.
On a side note.
A Vintage Maxwell in Annat
By Donald L Wright
This story is about an affair with a 1921 Maxwell motorcar that has spent some 80 years in and around the country village of Annat, located west of Sheffield on state highway 73 in Canterbury.
It is also about the people that have assisted with the car’s continuing restoration, and their professional ability to adapt and create parts that are not even available in the Vintage Car Club swap meets or parts sheds. The social aspect of a rural men’s shed has considerable influence over acceptable restoration, lubricated with a good Scottish dram complemented with pure Annat / Waddington water, all part of mature aged rural dwellers.
I find it remarkable that to date there appears there is no other surviving 1921 Maxwell on planet earth with a roadster body the same as this hidden gem.
The Maxwell was a genuine ‘barn find’ in Ellis (Jim) Searles shed on Searles Road, Annat, at around 1959 by my father George Wright.
It was originally imported and sold by Todd Motors to a W D Abrahams of Whitecliffs in 1925. I am thinking it may have taken time to convert to right hand drive and ship to NZ accounting for the missing three years.
Jim Searle had acquired it about 1940 and had driven it extensively.
George had rounded up the author at the age of 10 to steer this acquisition home from Jim’s dilapidated farm shed. Over the years the car had been the resting place for a multitude of obsolete farm equipment gathering leaves, dust and dirt.
My mother could not believe her eyes just what was entering the front gate under tow, and there certainly were some comments that were not at all helpful, especially when parked beside the newly purchased 1955 Chevrolet family car.
There was a certain mystique, aged, and used smell about the car in its very dilapidated state. A simple roadster, unique with wooden wheels and this black fold down hood. Unfortunately, the original rear axle had been replaced with a Whippet of smaller size wheels. Folk law has it that the original was discarded as considered poorly built.
A basic restoration including new hood, side curtains, paint and a replacement Oakland rear axle including the wooden wheels was carried out around 1961.
The Maxwell considered roadworthy had entered the Canterbury VCC Irishman rally around 1962 with my father George driving and Pat Keating navigating. Pat Keating incidentally, the late Patron of the NZ Vintage Machinery Club was a huge figure amongst the Canterbury vintage movement. A true gentleman in every respect. The Machinery Club Park at McLeans Island Christchurch is named after him.
The ‘Irishman’ must have been quite a challenge for the Maxwell’s occupants after an extremely cold winter night in the Irishman Creek Station woolshed. No doubt there was the best Scottish antifreeze on hand to help offset the cold, but story has it these two Maxwell competitors were blasted with dust and gravel by a vintage Bentley!
This was the enthusiast’s turning point, the focus was now on these old English racers.
Maxwell was given the push to the back of George’s shed behind some recently purchased vintage Bentley parts acquired from Andrew Anderson’s Hackthorne Road shed. Here was my opportunity to learn, experiment with, and enjoy vintage engines and the Maxwell prior to me being licensed to drive. Once one could drive there were more important and faster cars that had appeal! Beside a few family events, friend’s parties, and a Lion’s Club event the Maxwell was yet again pushed to the back of the shed.
Summarising at this point there was a lot of restoration work required to just get it on the road plus the interior woodwork was collapsing.
The mechanical state was poor especially this adapted Oakland rear axle. The worst feature was the rear wooden spokes were about to also collapse. It was time to call in Vern Jensen (Aotearoa Wooden Wheels) to replace the spokes. The workmanship of Vern is nothing but amazing using hickory and when the hub is removed, they remain intact. After applying marine varnish, enthusiasm leapt to another level, energising one to move forward with a worthwhile project.
Next step was to dissemble the car and sand blast, this is where a ground up job was started. Good friend Bob Scott of Waddington, he has vintage car restoration is in his DNA, took this on board and then replaced all the crumbling body woodwork.
I took all the mechanical parts home; the idea was to clean up and rebuild or replace where necessary, being a farmer and having experience with agricultural machinery, maintenance, and fabrication, this job seemed straight forward enough.
Starting on the Oakland differential being not the original and not in particularly good shape, a tooth missing on the crown wheel and all four bearings worn out this was to be mission almost impossible. Pipes Engineering in Annat was a good starting place and how appropriate, but better still Graeme the owner, made a statement ‘we can fix anything in Annat you know.’ Talk about enthusiastic - yes, he welded a tooth back into the crown wheel. Time will tell but from all accounts the men’s shed team ‘rubber stamped’ the implant! Graeme also built up and re-bushed all shackles, steering joints, and front kingpins. I am full of admiration for my Annat engineering expert.
As a matter of course there is axle bearing replacement next. Graham Gibson a retired Darfield Service Station owner and a men’s shed participant believed there maybe some of these large rollers in the Canterbury VCC parts shed at McLeans Island. Well as luck would have it and a bit of guidance from that team, Graham dug out from the depths of their bearing rack four almost new bearings - simply put ‘a monumental find’ amazing - WOW - this is pure vintage excitement.
This now completes the parts for the diff and with Graham's guidance we meshed the pinion successfully into the crown wheel a small step that meant a lot to me as an ever so slightly bent agricultural engineer.
Taking that a tad further my son Stephen, wound up his heavy industrial farm lathe and turned out a couple of cast brake drums, cast some years ago replacing the worn Oakland all steel misfits. My lathe experience was back in 1965 at a school workshop, but being basic I was in awe as how Stephen rolled out these masterpieces of brake power. A true father son moment!
To complement the lathe experience, I needed a set of alloy hub caps as there were only two with the words Maxwell written across the nut like face. The other two had of course Oakland written on them.
Enter Rex Walker a talented Waddington (a local) back shed engineer who spends most of his time building small Traction Engines and associated small farm implements. Out came four beautifully built hub caps made from blank alloy, all threaded, lathed out with an original sized nut cut out with Maxwell written across the face. I have no other words but simply WOW! When I thought that was over, he took the old Oakland hubs and copied the original Maxwell front to match the rear. Rex your talent is simply incredible.
Again, Bob Scott has been a godsend with preparation and painting. His advice and tutoring have made remarkably interesting shed evening’s where together with others mentioned have sorted Maxy issues and anything else that was wrong with the world. Just simply a true ‘summer wine’ experience - that the journey getting there is the exciting bit.
I now have an opportunity to clean up and paint the chassis. This seamed simple enough but after six coats of spray painting, I am slowly getting it together. My thoughts were that I should have a go with this two-pot mix on the mechanical bits and then progress to painting the body. Finding a dust free, warm - but not too hot environment then adjusting the air / paint viscosity mixture is something the word ‘difficult’ has a whole new meaning!
That is without filling panels and sanding smooth. I now have deep respect for these tradesmen, and patience is certainly a virtue.
There are results I am proud of but there is a long way to go!
More men’s shed meetings - oh but there’s politics, the Irishman rally, the council, farming, the weather and just where are we motoring too next. This is why my restoration is at snail's pace. Who cares - sometimes not even me.
But lads, the next step with Maxy - how do I find out how the rear brakes operate from the pedal -- important one would assume.
No real answers from ‘the shed’ again side tracked into another boy’s vintage car high-country adventure.
A sudden thought - I know, a visit to Kathryn Smiths shed - she had a Maxwell completely restored.
Camera in hand problem solved, together with a few other forgotten components that need positioning including the speedo drive off the front wheel. WOW another eureka moment that extends enthusiasm for vintage restoration and understanding just how clever the engineering was in 1920.
Can I just say at this point Kathyrn suggested to write of this story and given her passion for vintage autos one felt a duty.
There will be more as this is ‘a working progress’, the Maxy will still be there long after we have raced, rallied, and retired, but in the next decade or two, one gains a feeling of accomplishment, respect, pride, and fellowship with mates second to none. There is also my wife Jenny who has always been there with words of inspiration and encouragement, attending rallies and events despite how cold these old cars can be with the air conditioning always on full cold!
As for Annat, well it was a historic town back in the late 19th century that had a church, hall, shop, school, police station, railway siding, creamery, and the most important pub, where the Cobb and Co horses were changed. It now has few residents, one defunct streetlight, a heap of talent and if you blink whilst passing through you will certainly miss it.
Humour
- Get some roosters for eggs
Raise some bulls for milk
Then you will see that gender does matter.
- We are living in a generation that would unplug your life support to charge their cell phone.
- Being 20 in the seventies was much more fun than being 70 in the twenties!!
- I see people my age out there climbing mountains, parachuting, running marathons, all the while I am feeling good about getting my leg through my underwear without losing my balance
- I would like to share a personal experience with my friends about drinking and driving. This might save you the cost and embarrassment of being arrested for DUI.
As you know, people have been known to have unexpected brushes with the authorities from time to time, often on the way home after a "social session" with family or friends. Well, this year, it happened to me. I was out for the evening to a party this past weekend and had more than several Jack Daniels Old #7 coupled with a bottle of rather nice red wine. It was held at a great Italian restaurant. Although relaxed, I still had the common sense to know I was slightly over the limit. That's when I did something I've never done before ... I took a taxi home. On the way home there was a police roadblock, but since it was a taxi they waved it past and I arrived home safely without incident. These roadblocks can be anywhere and I realized how lucky I was to have chosen to take a taxi. The real surprise to me was I had never driven a taxi before. I don't know where I got it, and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with it.
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