Records

Te Ao Hou, June 1963, Page 53

Records reviewed by Alan Armstrong New Zealand ‘Maori’ Concert Party Pye PNZL 2700 12 in. 33⅓ LP Sponsored jointly by the Auckland Public Relations Office and the New Zealand Travel and Holiday Association, this party made a highly successful tour of New Zealand several years ago and then visited Australia, where their performances were most enthusiastically received by Australian audiences. To form the group of twenty-five entertainers, over 100 young Maoris were auditioned. The party finally selected represented some of the finest Maori talent in this country, from almost every major tribe. The leader was Mr Henare Toka, well-known as a carver and exponent of Maoritanga. I well recall seeing this polished group on stage and writing at the time in ‘Te Ao Hou’: ‘ “Maori” should set a standard to be aimed at by all future concert parties’. What a pity it could not have continued to perform after the task for which it had been selected had finished.