A MAORI ENTERTAINMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13655, 25 July 1908, Page 6

A MAORI ENTERTAINMENT

ANCIENT AND MODERN.

A novel and exceedingly interesting entertainment was given in the Theatie Royal last night, by a company organised to tour the colony lor the purpose U raising funds in aid of the Rotorua Maori Mission, and of the aims of the Young Maori Party. As originally organised the company consisted of a dozen young men and women of the choir of the Roiloiua Maori Mission, -who contributed musical items, and of some older Rotorua people of both sexes who took part in scenes representing the "Maori at Home" in oltl limes. I'or the run down this island, a valuable addition was made to the company in fifteen stalwart Gisborne natives, belonging to a tribe which has preserved more perfectly than any others the technique of the haka and the war dance. The entertainment is under the direction of the Rev. F. A. Bennett;, a native Anglican Minister of Rotorua, with Mr T. M. Lyons as musical director. Some scenery has been painted, representing Lake Rotorua, with Ohinemutu pa in foreground, and the island of Mokoia in tihe distance, and small fronts of houses give a greater aspect of realism to the setting. One idea of the organisers, Mr Bennett explained, was to show the contrast between the old Maori life and the new; another was to show that old Maori games were capable of development and refinement, and that they were worth taking some trouble with in these directions. The hakas and war dances of the Gisborne men was an.addition made by accident as it were. The men were attending the Maori congress at Wellington, and agreed to take a few days' holiday and spend them with the Mission party. The contrast between the Old and the New was well brought out by iihe little dramatice scenes of the Maori at home on the one hand, and the) appearance and "performances of tlie cnoir on the other. The items were too numerous to be described in deLail. . Ili must suffice to say that the Old style was ■ illustrated in a very interesting manner, and that the choir, as a company and in male and female quarfcebtes and Miss Butt, their soprano soloist ( relative of the famous Clara Butt) sang excellently, and every item was warmly encored. The old Maori songs seemed queer "music" by contrast with the choir work. In Mm games section some very clever poi exel cises were given, time being marked by a chant, and the short "sets" or varieties directed by an "M.0." as in dances. Three men spun big Maori tops, which if skilfully spun climb up a fixed string, but I none.of them climbed far. A game requiring quickness of both body and mind is 1 mate mate. In this, a leader moved both. I arms vigorously and rapidly and cries* what lie is doing, or what he is not doing, and the other player or players must act the cry and not imitate the leader's action if his action does not fit thei cry—a sorb of magnified and athletic "Simon says thumbs Tip." The Gisborne men stripped to their mat kilts, gave some spirited exhibitions of the haka, spear dance, and war dance, the "physical exercises" _ot uhe old time Maori, with the accompanying " deep breathing" 'exercises of open throated roars and yells. Some of the men threw much more vigour into their movements and added more detail than others; one, the comique of the party, quite lost his breath in his efforts to amuse: the audience. Nearly every item throughout the entertainment was encored, and the demands were willingly acceded to. The programme included also some tableaux of scenes from the story of Tutanekaiand Hinemoa, which suggested that the Story well worked out, would make a very good cinematograph film. The Rev. Mr Bennett gave an address in which he sketched the aims of the Young Maori Party for the uplifting of the Maori people, socially, industrially ,in-

tellectually and spiritually, and any profits from tliis tour (and all were working without remuneration) would be devoted to the furtherance of those aims. Ho was pleased to see that their entertainment was appreciated, but regretted that the attendance would not pay their expenses. He hoped however that their visit would produce profit of another kind, in a greater and a more sympathetic feeling towards the Maori race. _^