Seven hand-made guitars commemorating the loss of life and buildings in the Christchurch earthquakes will be sold at a live auction and cocktail evening in Christchurch on Friday.

The event at the Armstrong Prestige Mercedes-Benz showroom will feature performances by Stars in their Eyes winner and Christchurch singer Mandy Pickering.

Accompanied by her guitarist husband Jason, she will perform two songs on each of the Heart Strings guitars. They will start with their version of ‘When the War is over’ and then also perform a number of covers including ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Angel’ and some of my her original songs that will feature on her upcoming album.

The Heart Strings guitars were crafted by Pickering’s father-in-law, Bruce Pickering and were created using timber from important historical buildings that fell in the Christchurch earthquakes.

On-line Trade Me bidding for the unique guitars will be combined into a live auction for Christchurch people at Friday’s event. All the profits will go to the Christchurch arts community. This will be the last time the Heart Strings family of guitars will be seen together as it is expected that each of the guitars will be sold and go to a different homes all over New Zealand.

``This project means a lot to us. Christchurch is my home town and my family and I have experienced our own personal loss, including the loss of our home. But what I love about this project is that it brings hope and positivity to our city” Pickering said today.

Wood for the guitar was donated by was donated by owners of the buildings such as Deans family home (Homebush), the Great Hall at the Christchurch Art Centre (Graduate), Southern Blues Bar (Southern Blues), a Heritage residential home in Chester Street (Chester), Gunyah Lodge (Gunyah) and Ohinetahi homestead built in 1858 in Governors Bay (Ohinetahi).

An eighth guitar, named Kia Kaha, was built out of timber from the historical Lyttelton Time Ball building. A scroll holding the names of those who lost their lives has been gently laid to rest inside the guitar, donated by her husband Jason and Pickering’s father-in-law. The guitar has been featured at an exhibition in the Canterbury Museum.

The Heart Strings collection of guitars will also be celebrated in a live concert by Mandy Pickering and her band at The Wharf on Northcote Pt, Auckland, on March 11.

Note: On-line bidding for the Heart Strings guitars: http://www.trademe.co.nz/stores/heart-strings-nz

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