‘The Legend of the Bridge’ Auckland in Song and Story

Te Ao Hou, June 1965, Page 59

‘The Legend of the Bridge’ Auckland in Song and Story Kiwi EA-95, 7in 45 EP. This is an unexceptional little record which should appeal to Aucklanders and others as a souvenir of the undoubted Queen City of New Zealand. (Thus speaks an unabashed Aucklander!) Side one is a reading of an old Maori legend, collected by A. W. Reed, of the patu paiarehe who built the first bridge across the Waitemata—apparently without the procrastination which attended the construction of its more famous successor. Harry Dansey has an excellent voice and as a Maori his pronunciation makes amends to some degree for that on some of the other spoken records which Kiwi have issued. The cover blurb very rightly describes Dansey as well qualified for ‘reading the legend on this record’. Unfortunately he does just that and no more. It is a dramatic legend and needs dramatic treatment, but here it is read calmly and dispassionately. The reading suffers from an inexcusable lack of production—inexcusable because it is so obvious. Mr Dansey deserves a better vehicle for his talents than this. I have no doubt that Kiwi is enterprising enogh to give it to him. On the other side of the disc is Napi Waaka's Te Rangatahi group singing Tony Cook's song ‘Te Tokoroa’. This is quite pleasant listening.