UNIQUE KNOWLEDEG

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 77, 14 March 1935, Page 6

UNIQUE KNOWLEDEG

Preserving Maori Songs BISHOP BENNETT’S PLEA “When Tutawake passes away, these songs will be lost tor over unless we can find some means ot preserving them,” said Bishop Bennett at last evening's meeting of the Hastings Historical Society when Mr Tutawake, whom the Bishop described as a living encyclopedia of traditional Maori songs and incantations, gave a number ol vocal illustrations to the Bishop’s talk on ancient Maori music. Mr Tutawake, who is 65 years of age, is the only Hawke's Bay Maori who knows these traditional songs, many of which are peculiar to this district, and thl Bishop announced that Mr Erie Phillips, who is a member of the society, is taking steps to have them recorded. The Bishop appealed to the public to join the society, and to lend their financial and moral assistance to the society’s work. “We are trying to do something valuable, he added, ” and it is certainly a most pleasant sideline for all of us.” He went on to say that since the formation of the Hastings society other societies tiad been formed in Auckland, Westland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Hamilton, Napier, Otaki, and the Chatham Islands, and this week he was going to Dannevirke to assist in the formation of a society there. 'Hie, Auckland society had a very large membership, and its interests embraced the Pacific Island as well as New Zealand. University men there were taking up the work, and were very much absorbed in it. '