Spotlight on... with Janne GuitarGirl

Probably best known as hosts of the annual Aongatete Music Festival, Paul Hoggard and Penny Rowsell are a talented musical couple with a lot in common.

They were both born in New Zealand, have Celtic heritage, teach music, are multi-talented singer-songwriters, and, because of their passion for music, they have performed and toured together in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland.

They have held the Aongatete Music Festival on their property for the past eight years and it has been a privilege for me to be on the festival committee, stay at their home, and help them run this annual event.

They are active also in the Tauranga Acoustic Music Club and the Katikati Folk Club.
Together Penny and Paul have released four CDs of original music – 'Knockashee', 'Never is Too Long', 'Her Dream Wasn't Finished' and 'Passages In Time'.  

Paul plays guitar, mandolin, violin, bouzouki and bodhran and both he and Penny sing and harmonise.

The thing that I first noticed about Penny was her versatility and ease with which she can switch instruments mid-song. I have seen her play piano, piano-accordion, bass guitar, classical guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin, pennywhistle, bodhran and even bagpipes!

I was privileged to attend their wedding last year and was thrilled to see a beautiful Penny, dressed in flowers with her long hair flowing, sling a bass guitar over her wedding dress as she and Paul performed an original song they had written to sing to each other in front of their family and friends at this beautiful ceremony, set in their orchard.

Paul and Penny will be performing as 'My Pennyworth' at The LMM Club night on Friday, August 11 at the Brew Craft Beer Pub from 5pm alongside other singer-songwriters LA Thompson and Janne Guitargirl (myself), so we look forward to their performance.