begin with and is then transformed into tripping vivacity as dark thoughts of death give way to exultation at the idea of resurrection. In this it reflects the mercurial character of the community from which it comes. ‘Lord's Prayer’ is yet another setting of this most universal of prayers. It is full of the pathos and tenderness of a people who really live their religion. Worth special mention on Side Two is a West Indian carol ‘The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy’. It is a beautiful hymn of faith to which Inia Te Wiata does full justice. The record concludes with four American negro spirituals: ‘Didn't it Rain’, ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, ‘I Got a Robe’, and ‘Deep River’. These are in contrast to the West Indian songs which reflect their African origins and retain strong themes of gaiety and insousiance. Such ideas are almost totally absent from the American spirituals which are adaptations of European tunes heard during the dark days of slavery and are generally redolent of their sufferings. The final spiritual ‘Deep River’ is a poignant epitaph to Inia Te Wiata himself in its expression of the longing of a man who seeks entry to a promised land ‘where all is peace’.

TOIA Patea Methodist Club Ode Stereo SODE 017 12in LP 33⅓ rpm

HE TOA TAKATINI He Toa Takitini Art and Craft, Welfare, Goodwill Association Ode Stereo SODE 007 12in LP 33⅓ rpm These are the first Maori records from a new label on the local record scene. ODE records are produced by the Ode Record Company of Wellington. This company is run by Mr Terence P. O'Neill-Joyce as, according to him, ‘a one-man band’. Mr Joyce is undoubtedly an enthusiast and when one talks to him one cannot help but be impressed at his desire for technical excellence in the records he produces and his interest in producing even better Maori records in the future. Mr O'Neill-Joyce does not feel that the market for Maori records is saturated. ‘There will always be room for good records’, he says. Sound-wise both these records are very good indeed—clear as a bell and with excellent stereo effect which enables the listener to really feel in the same room with the groups concerned. The record covers are somewhat scanty in detail about the items but they are most artistic and striking. The photographs are also Mr O'Neill-Joyce's work. ‘Toia’ features the Patea Methodist Club under the Rev. Napi Waaka, one of the young giants of the Maori cultural scene. The record has its faults. The first is a slightly obtrusive guitar accompaniment for many of the items. The second is a woeful over-reliance on European pop tunes. I know those who read my record reviews regularly must think that I have something of a ‘thing’ about this business of using Pakeha tunes for Maori songs and perhaps I have. The use of Pakeha tunes is a long established convention and it has its place. However, I deplore their use on records because a record buyer, particularly if he is an overseas visitor, who buys a record under the impression it features Maori music, feels really cheated when he finishes up with a collection from Tin Pan Alley to unfamiliar words. My second objection is because it is largely unnecessary. There is an increasing body of original music by Maori composers which should be used by groups who want to find tunes for their words. Doubtless in a live performance a current pop favourite to Maori words is appreciated and even welcomed by audiences and performers alike but even at public concerts it should not be overdone and it is certainly overdone on this record. On the other hand perhaps one should not ‘fight the problem’ too much but instead sit back and get as much enjoyment from listening as the Patea Methodist Club obviously gets from performing. There is no doubt that much of the record is really foot-tapping stuff. However I cannot help but wag a finger at Patea because they can obviously do so much better. The highlight of Side Two—indeed of the whole record—is Kingi Tahiwi's little chant ‘E Te Iwi E’. There is no guitar,