Morrison acclaimed

Press, 22 August 1979, Page 13

Morrison acclaimed

PA Hamilton People young and old, some weeping in the aisles, acclaimed the Howard Morrison Quartet and its 180member schoolchildren chorus at the Tu Tangata ’79 concert spectacular on Saturday evening. Turangawaewae marae’s Kimiora Hall had a capacity audience of 1200 people, including many dignitaries who had paid up to S2O each for a seat.

The quartet came out of retirement for the second time in more than a decade to head the Tu Tangata public appeal to encourage more Maori culture in schools.

Although the quartet was the main drawcard of the evening, this was not what it was all about, according to Mr Morrison. He said those who went specifically to see the quartet went away, after hearing the massed children’s choir, with the message of Tu Tangata firmly fixed in their minds. Tu Tangata, meaning “stance of the people” is a community-based programme run under the auspices of the Maori Affairs Department to advance the education of Maori and Pacific Island people. Mr Morrison said the quartet was considering a con-

cert tour in November of the four main centres to raise money for Tu Tangata. In the meantime the quartet, its backing band the Senators, and support artists, would give a concert in Dunedin next month for the Abbotsford landslip appeal. Mr Morrison said Saturday’s concert raised between $9OOO and $lO,OOO. The Government had given $5OOO to begin the appeal, and a firm had contributed $lOOO. Saturday’s show will be shown on television in two parts in October, and the Tu Tangata organisers hope their appeal will benefit.