Matariki with the Music of Ngā Taonga Puoro

Chamber Music NZ presents: Te Korekore

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Matariki with the Music of Ngā Taonga Puoro

If someone lends you their whale to ride back home on, don't beach it, kill it and then have it for dinner - or bad things will happen to you. The story of Tinirau and Kae is a very old one, and you can hear it this June and July in Te Korekore as part of Chamber Music New Zealand's celebration of Matariki. In a one-hour, multi-genre performance work, a narrative weaves around the traditional story of Tinirau and Kae with video art, story-telling, contemporary New Zealand chamber music, jazz-based composition and ngā taonga puoro.

The story of Tinirau and Kae is told in many parts of Aotearoa and is associated with Te Whare Tapere, the place where traditional Māori entertainment would occur, especially during the Matariki season. Numerous versions of the story exists in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, but normally follows this arc: Kae, a priest, is summoned by Tinirau, ancestor of all fish, to baptise his new baby. To thank him for his work, Tinirau offers Kae his beloved whale on which to ride home, on the condition the whale returns unscathed. But things don't quite go to plan, and Tinirau exacts his revenge...

Bring yourself and your whānau to a relaxed and friendly showcase of Aotearoa's rich and beautiful music-making tradition. Wellington Museum, Pātaka Art + Museum (Porirua), Puke Ariki (New Plymouth) and Te Manawa (Palmerston North) are joining forces for this Matariki-inspired tour. Shut your eyes and open your ears as the music of Aotearoa intertwines.

ENDS

Alistair Fraser performing at CMNZ's celebration of Matariki 2016 (credit Vannessa Rushton)

Chamber Music New Zealand presents: TE KOREKORE: THE STORY OF TINIRAU AND KAE

17 JUNE - 16 JULY 2018

Web links:
Chamber Music New Zealand

ARTIST INFORMATION

Alistair Fraser (taonga puoro)
Bridget Douglas (flute)
Rangimoana Taylor (Kaikōrero)
Phil Boniface (double bass)
Ed Davis (Videographer)

TE KOREKORE PROGRAM

Time | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Pahū pakohe and double bass)

Rēkohu | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Kōauau and double bass)

Space | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Pūmotomoto and double bass)

Matter | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Pūkāea and double bass)

Te Hau o Tāwhirimatea | Phil Brownlee
(Bridget Douglas, flute, and Alistair Fraser, taonga puoro)

Kōrorohua | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Porotiti and double bass)

Form | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Tumutumu and double bass)

Hineraukatauri | Gillian Whitehead
(Bridget Douglas, flute, and Alistair Fraser, taonga puoro)

Conveyance | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Pūtātara and double bass)

Kōrerorero | Alistair Fraser and Phil Boniface
(Kōauau ponga ihu and double bass)

Various actions in the story of Tinirau and Kae will be punctuated throughout by the above musical performances that coincide with the narrative. Video projections containing images pertaining to the narrative and compositions will accompany the narrative and musical performances. These may be projected onto a screen, performers or an appropriate space at the venue.

Duration: 1 hour approx.

TAONGA PUORO - Māori Musical Instruments
Paha pakohe
Kōauau
Pūmotomoto
Porotiti
Tumutumu
Pūtātara
Kōauau ponga ihu

credit: Vannessa Rushton
What were taonga puoro originally used for?
• as a call to arms in warfare
• as a signalling device
• to warn of imminent danger
• to sound the dawning of a new day
• to communicate with Māori gods
• to signify the planting of certain crops at different times of the year.

LInk to the story of Tinirau and Kae

DATES - KOHA ENTRY

Palmerston North
17 June 2.00pm Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History

Wellington
21 June 6.00pm Wellington Museum
21 June 8.00 pm Welington Museum
24 June 2.00pm Pataka Art + Museum - Porirua

New Plymouth
16 July 5.30 Puke Ariki New Plymouth

Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative NZ.

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