MAORI CONCERT

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 2781, 28 November 1931, Page 2

MAORI CONCERT

I A SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION. I ENJOYABLE. PROGRAMME. A delightful concert was presented before a good audience in the Town Hall oil Thursday night by a party of eight talented Maori entertainers. The party is touring New Zealand under the au spit* ~of—Uua-Mctlioxlist Home and Maori Missions, and in connection with the 109th anniversary of the establishv niont of the Missions. Sister Nicholls, deaconess in the Waikato and North / Auckland districts, was in charge of | the party, and introduced them to the I audience. I The programme opened with a typik cal Maori welcome. Two of the party | on the stage, in company with four / Cambridge residents, hailed the apS preach of visitors (the rest of the / party) as they appeared at the front i door of the hall. A challenge was hurled at them from the stage and finding I them friends this was turned to a ] hearty welcome. On the whole party reaching the stage words of greeting were spoken by Mr E. J. Easter and responded to in Maori by a chief and interpreted by Sister Nicholls. The little ceremony ended with a waiata or Maori chant and a personal greeting to each person on the stage. The programme proper opened with the Doxology and the Lord’s Prayer and then followed a most excellent programme of Native hymns and songs, waiatas, liakas, pois and instrumental I numbers. The eight voices formed a I double quartette and their concerted items showed them masters of harmony and rhythm. i Solos were rendered by several members and as each was introduced by Sister Nicholls she gave short outlines of I the Mission work in the districts repre- j sented by the performers. The andi- I once showed its appreciation of the , .items by demanding many encores, the I I instrumental items in particular gain- I J ing hearty recalls. Speaking of her work among the I Maori people, Sister Nicholls said I there are about ad,ooo [Maoris in New I Zealand, of whom some 52,000 are rcsi- ! dent in the North Island. The Mission H arkors are concentrated in this Island. I end are making great progress. The I • object of the concert party is to stimulate greateiyintev.est-L ll , the !AlAerr~Mis r | sion. The speaker appealed for support and assistance, and mentioned that in the Waikato there are 30 Maori Sunday schools, under the care of 70 voluntary teachers. Apologies were made for the absence of the Lev. A. J. Seamer, general superintendent of Home and Maori Missions, and a song was sung by the girls expressing their love for the Lev. I •Seamer and appreciation of the work that is being done for the Maori people by him and the church lie represents. Towards the close of the entertainment opportunity was given for the signing of cards with promises of donations and photos of the concert p-ny were on sale.