TRUE MAORI EXPRESSION

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1932, Page 11

TRUE MAORI EXPRESSION

NATIVE PARTY AT WAITARA.

The Methodist Maori. Mission Party now touring Taranaki under the management of Sister Nicholls made, thenappeai'ance in St. John’s hall,. Waitara, on Tuesday night to. a large and enthusiastic audience. Much has already been said of their excellent performances everywhere, and to thousands who have heard them there is little else to be Baid. ■ The Maori, conception of such a . performance, however, penetrates deeper than the mere enjoyment of the moment, for there in a vivid representation he feiehqJfl.sJiF.a brief..space £he story; of, his 'race,ran of.-.gQmething iq-.his ; -. nhtitre: <-wjikb has = .been . dormant for-, generations.- The. migration .of his aib cestorg.. from mystic Hawaiki with its perils and' hardships, -their mysterious guidance by .tliO stars ,in then heavens,, 'their : lmplicit trust, in their unseen gods, their ■ endurance,.,-and? finally,- the joyous, outburst at‘ their-vultimate success were ail depicted, iir onej beautiful scene; • Then the well known, call of welcome. to visitors, an outstanding characteristic of Maori • hospitality, Which, even under existing conditions still, prevails, gave the audience an insight into the warmth and sincerity -of a -.true Maori welcome. Airini Wereta, A.T.C.L., L.A.8.,. gave liberally of her trained voice in the well known - call of “Haere .Mai” from the stage, while the rest of the party marched solemnly 'up the body of the hall towards the stage, which represented the courtyard of the home people, among whom were some of . the local residents. The Rev. W. B. Cumming, Methodist minister of the district, extended a welcome to .the party. Te Akonga Pihama, a direct descendant of Hoturoa, reputed to have been master of the canoe Tainui during /the. great migration, replied in true Maori- fashion, ably interpreted by Sister Nicholls. In the olden days this role was performed only by the very best orators. Pihama’s execution was therefore all the more remarkable when it is known that he is not yet out of his teens. He is also the leader of the hakas. Raiha Pihama, his sister, although .only 16 years of age, is another outstanding member of the party for she leads all the poi dances. The representations of the different Maori customs were strikingly realistic. In their beautiful Maori mats all standing together with bowed heads after requesting the audience to Stand with- them, they appropriately opened their performance with the singing of the Lord’s Prayer.in English unaccompanied, the rendering of which it would be well for church choirs to hear. The silence which .prevailed immediately following wag demonstrative of the effect which it had on the audience; all seemed afraid to move till they were reminded by n very gentle voice from the stage to resume their seats. The audience then realised that they were about to settle down to. two and a-half hours of something out of the ordinary, and certainly they were not disappointed. The programme was so varied that the element of surprise was present the -whole evening, and yet the completed programme made a beautiful and illustrated leeturd on the past, present and future of the Maori race and the value of mission work. The gradual transition from barbarism to Christianity, the ultimate abolition of tribal warfare and cannibalism under the influence ot the eariy missionaries were specially characterised. Over 30 items necessary to depict ' such a transformation, all of peculiar, and some, indeed, of very exceptional merit, were presented and were explained and introduced by one el another of the- performers themselves. Ancient and historic songs were sung in the Maori scale, including the first Christian hymn to be sung in the Maori language, introduced by Ruatara, a chief of the Ngapuhi tribe who organised the first Christian service conducted, by the Rev Samuel Marsden at the Bay of Islands in 1814, Stone age. games and dances were given, favourite instruments were played, and choruses both ancient and modern were sung in ij most natural and fascinating way.