CHORAL SINGING IN MAORI

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1937, Page 7

CHORAL SINGING IN MAORI

SERVICES FOR NATIVES

Special services are being' held throughout the Presbytery of Wellington in connection with the Maori Mission work of the Presbyterian Church. The Revs. J. G. Laughton, Maori Mission Superintendent, and H. Nikora are the speakers at these services. Mr. Laughton will conduct the morning service tomorrow at St. Giles Church, Kilbrinie, and the evening service at St. John's Church, Willis Street. Mr. Nikora will conduct the morning service at St. "Andrew's Church, The Terrace, and the evening service at the Kelburn. Presbyterian Church. . '

Mr. Laughton, who is a native of the Orkney Islands, has spent most of his ministry among the Maori people. He has been adopted as one of themselves and received the name of one of their deceased chiefs of high rank. He takes his place in the village courtyard as a person of eminence. Throughout the area which he superintends, extending from Taupo into the Bay of- Plenty, Hawke's Bay, and the King Country, a service book in the Maori language is used. This ordinal, which contains forms for public worship,' the administration of the Sacraments, and marriages and funerals, was prepared by Mr. Laughton and published under the seal of the Presbyterian Church, of New Zealand.

As an expression of their appreciation of the work which Mr. Laughton is doing among their people, the NgatiPoneke Choir will occupy the choir gallery in St. John's Church tomorrow evening, and will sing two anthems. These anthems have evolved from tunes which the. early .missionaries taught the Maori people, .and . while they retain certain of their original European characteristics,, have become tunes that are peculiar to the Maori people. The choir is composed of Maori young men and women belonging to nearly every main tribe in New Zealand and residing in Wellington

The Ngati-Poneke Choir belongs to a Maori Youth Association which has come together for a certain purpose. A large number of the young Maoris of today feel that, if they are to make a worthy contribution to the citizenship of New Zealand, they must retain the cultural background of their language, their arts -and crafts, and the best in their history. ' It has also been realised by those who have the best interests of the young Maori at heart that during their residence in a city like Wellington, they, more or less belong to the' floating population . and in consequence have to contend with many difficulties. Hence they have come together into an association which works mainly through three committees. The Welfare Committee, with Lady Pomare as Chairwoman, aims :at helping Maoris who are in hospitals and also those who .are indigent. The sports committee runs the Poneke Girls' Hockey Club. The Social Mission Committee seeks to develop choir work of both a religious and secular nature, the native arts and crafts, and. all games which are characteristic of Maori social life. The Ngati-Poneke Choir is a part of this, association. ■

A unique feature of the service in St. John's tomorrow evening will be the congregational singing. Wellknown hymns, such as "Sun of My Soul" and' "Onward Christian Soldiers" have been chosen. The congregation will sing from their hymn books in English, while the choir will sing at the same time from their special hymn books in Maori. This mingling of the two languages in common song, having been tried elsewhere, has been proved not only effective but also very impressive. Thus European and Maori will unite in praising the one God, each in his own language.