Music
Search this list of all my publicly available works using the search box, or the category and year lists. Information about each work includes where to buy, borrow or listen to it.
Hineraukatauri
Duet for flute and taonga pūoro
Hineraukatauri was written for, and dedicated to, Alexa Still and Richard Nunns. They gave the first performance at the 1999 National Flute Convention in Atlanta, USA.
About the work
In Māori tradition, Hineraukatauri is the goddess of music and dance. She is embodied in the form of the female case-moth, who hangs in the bushes and sings in a pure, high voice to attract the male moths to her. Her hair is found as a fern, the hanging spleenwort, and her voice is heard in the sound of the pūtōrino, an instrument known only in Aotearoa. The pūtōrino is an instrument that can be played in various ways – as a flute, as a trumpet and as a means of enhancing or altering the human voice.
Instrumentation and scoring
The flautist plays piccolo, concert flute and alto flute.
The taonga pūoro include 3 different pūtōrino — one made of albatross bone and 2 of wood, and both the flute and trumpet voices are used. Other instruments used are a karanga manu (bird-caller), a pūrerehua (swung bull-roarer) and tumutumu (tapped instruments).
The flute player’s part is notated, but the music for the taonga pūoro is improvised; there are areas when the flute player is encouraged to improvise with the taonga.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ, or buy an MP3 recording.
There are several CD recordings of this work.
Silver Stone Wood Bone — CD and digital album
Hineraukaturi has been recorded twice as part of SOUNZ’s Resound project.
Hineraukatauri was also included on a double CD called Sound Barrier, a major promotional project for New Zealand music.
Commentary
Kirsten Eade focused on this work in her dissertation.
The influence of Māori music traditions in the flute compositions of Gillian Whitehead — publication
E rewa mai, e rā
For solo voice
Text by the composer
E rewa mai, e rā was premiered by Ana Good (soprano) at dawn on Allen’s Beach on the seaward side of the Otago Peninsula on 1 January 2000.
About the work
E rewa mai, e rā is an invocation to the sun, asking it to rise, to give light, so that all living things will thrive and be healthy, so that the rain will fall. It is 2000 years since the coming of Christ. Rise, sun. It was composed on 30 December 1999.
There are 3 versions of this work: one for low voice, one for high voice, and a traditional waiata.
Score and recording
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
An archival performance on CD was released in 2004.
Outrageous Fortune
Opera in 2 acts for kuia, soprano, 2 mezzo-sopranos, 2 high baritones, 8 smaller roles also doubling as chorus, and 15-piece ensemble
Libretto by Christine Johnston
Outrageous Fortune was commissioned, with funding from Creative New Zealand, by Otago Commemorative Opera Group, Te Atamira Whakamaumahara, to commemorate the sesquicentenary of the founding of the city of Dunedin and the province of Otago in 1848. The first performance was given on 29 September 1998 at the Trust Bank Theatre, Dunedin, conducted by Michael Joel.
About the work
The action is set on the Otago goldfields in 1862, and weaves together fictionalised dramatisations of true stories of Māori, European pakeha and Chinese living on the goldfields. Each act lasts for approximately 65 minutes.
Cast
The cast consists of 16 singers:
- Rona, soprano
- Marama, traditional chant and karanga
- Rani, high baritone
- Hoani, high baritone
- Bess, mezzo
- Maryann, mezzo
- Rosie, soprano
- Lily, mezzo
- Daisy, mezzo
- Charlie/Mick, tenor
- Timmy, tenor
- Tommy, baritone
- Paddy, bass
- Joe, baritone
- 2 Chinese male singers
The first 6 roles are soloists, 4 of which are Māori. The remainder are primarily ensemble singers, although they have substantial solo work at times.
Instrumentation
The opera is scored for flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano, percussion, 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos, double bass and taonga pūoro (2 players).
In the Dunedin production, 2 dancers were included, as well as an on-stage fiddler. The role of the fiddler, depending on the distance between the stage and the orchestra pit, can be undertaken by a player from the ensemble.
Scores and recordings
The score, parts and a recording of the first performance are available from SOUNZ.
Review
Suzanne Court and Jenny McLeod wrote articles for Music in New Zealand after the premiere.
Music in New Zealand No. 34 — publication
Award
Outrageous Fortune won the 1999 SOUNZ Contemporary Award. Critic William Dart described the work as ‘a rich score, very much the fruit of Whitehead’s openness.’ He presented her with the 1999 SOUNZ Contemporary Award at the APRA Awards.
Ipu
Works with taonga pūoro, Voice and instrumental ensemble, Collaborations
For narrator, cello, piano and taonga pūoro
Text by Tungia Baker translated into Māori by Wena Tait
Ipu exists in recorded form only and was performed by Richard Nunns (taonga pūoru), Tungia Baker (narration), Judy Bailey (piano) and Georg Pedersen (cello).
About the work
Ipu tells in te reo Māori Tungia Baker’s story — reminiscent of the old teaching stories. It tells of of Waka, a canoe and Kowhai, an elegant yellow-flowered tree that grows on the Tararuas. Their mutual friend, Tui acts as a go -between, telling the Waka of Kowhai and Kowhai of Waka. Then one day, there is a great storm, which changes everything.
There are 4 sections:
- Waka, Kowhai and Tui
- Waka’s Love for Kowhai
- The Storm, and
- Aftermath.
Instrumentation
The taonga pūoro and piano parts are improvised to guidelines in the score, and the cello part is notated.
The taonga pūoro include: ipu, pahū pounamu, kōauau rākau maire, panguru, hue puruhau, poi āwhiowhio, ua roria rau karamu, pūtōrino rākaumatai, kōuaua ponga ihu, kōauau kōiwi kurī, kōauau kōiwi toroa, tumutumu, pūpū harakeke, porotiti, pūrerehua kōhatu pounamu, pukaea rakau manuka and karanga manu.
Recording
Buy or borrow the CD from SOUNZ.
Buy a digital version of the album from SOUNZ or Bandcamp.
Beloved…
For violin
Beloved… for solo violin was written as a 40th birthday celebration for Australian violinist David Saffir. It was commissioned by his wife Anna dell’Oso who had written the libretto for my opera Bride of Fortune. The first performance was given in Sydney by David Saffir.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Miranda Adams has recorded the work more recently.
Korimako
For descant recorder
Korimako was first performed by John Turner at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London on 19 September 1997.
About the work
After the outstanding English soprano Tracey Chadwell died at far too young an age, a number of composers wrote short tribute pieces for a concert that celebrated her life. Korimako — the New Zealand bellbird — was my contribution.
Korimako is included in the Grade 8 ABRSM descant recorder syllabus from 2022.
ABRSM treble recorder syllabus
Score
The score has been published by Forsythe in the United Kingdom.