Ko te tātai whetū (chamber version)

About

Ko te tātai whetū was originally commissioned by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, as a concerto for taonga puoro and orchestra. The first performance was given by Ariana Tikao with the CSO in Christchurch in June 2015. This version is an adaptation of that piece for two taonga puoro players and chamber ensemble. The thread of the taonga puoro part is carried over from the orchestral version, and the central waiata remains at the heart of the piece. The waiata recounts the story of Tāne, who goes to the underworld in search of his wife, Hinetītama, who had fled there after discovering that Tāne was in fact her father. There she transforms herself into Hinenuitepō and resides at Poutūteraki. In the waiata she tells Tāne to go back to the world of the living to raise their children, and to take the stars and constellations with him as a cloak to clothe Raki (the sky father). The stars are then listed in the waiata.