Music
Ngā Hā O Neherā
For bassoon
Ben Hoadley commissioned Ngā Hā o Neherā with funding from the Becroft Trust.
About the work
Ngā Hā o Neherā, which translates from Māori as ‘a breath from the past’ is a 5-movement suite, written after a taonga pūoro wananga at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
The first movement is ‘Ngā Hā o Neherā’, (a breath from the past), the second ‘puna wera’, which suggests the continual welling up of hot water from a spring at the edge of the lake, and the third, ‘Mokoia’, suggesting the soundscape of Mokoia Island which, as well as being a major historical site, is also a bird sanctuary. The fourth movement, ‘He pūrakau’ recounts a folk story — not a specific tale, but suggesting the elements of all strong stories.
The last movement, ‘Ohinemutu’, locates the piece in place, and reflects on the story of Hinetekakara, ancestress of the Te Arawa people, whose untimely death gave the place its name.
Scores and recordings
Buy or borrow the score from SOUNZ.
Atoll CDs has released a recording by Ben Hoadley.
The Resound project has made 2 video performances available — one of the whole work and one of the final movement.