Music
Mate Ururoa
For baritone, mezzo and large ensemble
Text in Māori and English by the composer
Commissioned by and written for baritone, David Tahere. The premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York was scheduled for November 2021 but has been postponed because of Covid.
About the work
During World War 1, Roger Dansey, of Te Arawa, a captain in the pioneer battalion, disobeys his commander’s orders to save the lives of his men. The piece explores the differences between Māori and European approaches to war.
‘Kaua e mate wheke, mate ururoa — don’t die like an octopus, die like a hammerhead shark’ was a saying used in the Dansey family.
Instrumentation
Mate Ururoa is scored for baritone and an ensemble of taonga pūoro, flute doubling alto flute and piccolo, clarinet doubling E flat and bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, percussion, violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Percussion instruments are: marimba, vibraphone, 2 timpani, rototoms, bass drum, wood blocks, wooden drum, metal chimes, 5 suspended cymbals, tamtam, thundersheet, stones and poi.
Scores and recordings
The score will be available from SOUNZ after the premiere performance.
Article
Elizabeth Kerr wrote about this work in a blog celebrating my 80th birthday.