Waka Odyssey – Festival Opening Ceremony (with our choir)

Three and a half weeks of frenetic learning and practicing, and it’s all done and dusted in an hour. Such is the ephemeral nature of the performing arts. Especially when it’s a once only performance, as most of ours are.

We get a week off rehearsals this coming week, and then will have three weeks to prepare for our next gig. For something completely different, we will be performing with a Brazilian Samba band in the Cubadupa Festival.

But for now let’s look back at last night.

It was an awesome night on Wellington harbour, fine with a light northerly. We thoroughly enjoyed performing, and had the best view in the house of the boats. When you see the crowds, you can tell that a lot of them would not be seeing much. A couple of times, “chancers” slipped into the backstage area and tried coming up the steps to the stage!

As I mentioned before, the choir was 300 strong and comprised members of the Wellington and Lower Hutt Community choirs, and a strong contingent of Samoan and Cook Island singers.

The only video I can find is on FB, so you’ll have to go off Steemit to see it, but keep this post open, so you can choose which bits you want to see (total length is over an hour).

Here’s what the video covers.

The times are a bit approximate, but will give you an idea of where to go:

• First 21 minutes – not much to see, just the crowd, and the choir assembling
• 21 to 27:30 minutes – (start watching here) Birdsong, other nature sounds, and a good look at the crowd and the beautiful Wellington harbour.
• 27:30 to 32 minutes – Kupe speaks. Legend has it that Kupe (from Hawaiki)was the first Polynesian explorer to discover New Zealand. Read more about him here
• 32 to 37 minutes - Opening song by an awesome vocalist, Maisie Rika, following by drumming and shots of the sprint canoes coming into the harbour
• 37 to 46 minutes – Karanga (calls of welcome) by the women
• 46:30 to 56:30 – Our first two songs: Ngahiraka (solists and choir) and Malie E Tagifa (choir and drums). Most of the visuals are of the soloists and the wakas coming into the harbour, but there are occasional glimpses of the choir (at roughly 46:35, 47:30. 48:00, 53:00, 53:43).
• 56:30 to 1:02:00 – nature sounds and a song that sounds Hawaiian. I love the waka of wahine, all in time to the music.
• 1:02 to 1:09 Drumming (awesome drummer!) and korero
• 1:09 to 1:20 Gold boat comes into the harbour and woman on it speaks. Kupe replies. (I was a bit lost on this bit. The boat and the woman’s costume appeared to be oriental, but from the context of Kupe’s reply, it was maybe representative of the moon. If anyone has any better theories, please enlighten me.)
• 1:20 to 1:28:30 – Our last two songs: E Tiaki Ra (soloist and choir) and Aioa (choir)
• 1:28:30 to 1:35 - Haka

In this pic, you can see some choir members in the foreground, the harbour in the background and our choir leader, Julian, in front of the water, wearing a straw hat and waving. He was on a raised platform to conduct us, and by the end of the event he looked like the Pied Piper. So many children climbed up the sides of the platform and grouped around him (so they could see) that he could barely find space to stand and conduct. He took it very good naturedly though.

Thanks for reading and listening

Images from the Festival facebook page. GO – book your tickets to some other amazing events!

My previous music posts

• Benefits of joining a community choir ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1957 to 1966 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1967 to 1971 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1972 to 1976 ~
• Singing carols with the NZ Symphony Orchestra PLUS my best loved Christmas music ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1976 to 1983 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1983 to 1988 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1988 to 1994 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1994 to 2001 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2001 to 2007 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2008 to 2014 ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – some randoms ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – more randoms ~
• 60 years of my favourite music – Kiwi classics ~
• My choir singing on the streets of Wellington ~
• Some New Zealand music ~
• 60 years of music - Musicals I’ve been in ~
• Hang out in my kitchen this weekend - help me cook and listen to some music!
• What Steemit friends are for
• Rest in Peace Dad, and some music to remember you by
• Summer music routine for my arthritis class
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 1 to 3
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Day 4
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 5 to 7
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 8 to 9, part 1
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Days 8 to 9, part 2
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Day 10
• Music Challenge – 25 days, 25 songs – Day 11
• Rehearsing for the Arts Festival Opening event

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