Music
Hinetekakara
Works with taonga pūoro, Voice and instrumental ensemble, Collaborations
For kaikaranga, taonga pūoro, flute, cello and bassoon
Text by Aroha Yates-Smith
The first performance of this version of Hinetekakara was given by Aroha Yates-Smith (kaikaranga), Richard Nunns (taonga pūoro), Ingrid Culliford (flute), Ashley Brown (cello) and Ben Hoadley (bassoon) at the Hei Tiki Gallery, Whakarewarewa in late 2004.
About the work
Hinetekakara is an ancestress of Aroha Yates-Smith, whose own composition is embedded in mine. The interpretation of her chants is as follows:
- The singer invokes the spirit of her ancestress beside the rippling waters of Lake Rotorua.
- Tuhohomatakaka conducts the tapu-raising ceremony over Ihenga.
- Hinetekakara, participating in the ceremony, meets Ihenga and they fall in love.
- Hinetekakara’s lullaby welcoming her new-born son, Tuariki.
- Ihenga discovers the murdered body of Hinetekakara at the lake.
- The singer farewells her ancestress.
There are 3 other versions of this work.
Hinetekakara for kaikaranga, taonga pūoro and bassoon
Hinetekakara for kaikaranga, taonga pūoro and flutes
Hinetekakara for kaikaranga, taonga pūoro, flute, alto flute, and bassoon
About Hinetekakara
Many years ago, Hinetekakara lived with her husband (or father, according to some traditions) Ihenga on the edge of Lake Rotorua. Returning from a hunting trip, Ihenga discovered the body of his beloved Hinetekakara by the lake, murdered, and sang his mournful lament. The settlement at Ohinemutu is named for her (meaning ‘the end of the woman’).
Instrumentation
The taonga pūoro played in this piece are, in order:
- pūtatara — conch shell trumpet
- pūtōrino matai — wooden pūtorino
- pūmotomoto — shakuhachi-like wooden flute
- pūpūharakeke — flax snail
- pūkaea — war trumpet, and
- nguru rākau maire — wooden nose flute.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the scores from SOUNZ
The work was released on CD in 2007.
An excerpt was filmed for a DVD you can borrow from SOUNZ and there’s also an archival CD recorded by the group Tūhonohono.