The Auckland Town Hall pipe organ being dismantled in January. Photo / Paul Estcourt
The Auckland Town Hall pipe organ being dismantled in January. Photo / Paul Estcourt
KEY POINTS:
Massive pipes will soon capture the sound of Maori music as the country's largest instrument gets a major overhaul.
Last year, Auckland Town Hall's 18-tonne organ was taken apart for restoration work in Germany. However, as part of the project, city organist John Wells researched the idea oftaonga puoro, Maori instruments, becoming part of the 97-year-old instrument.
When it is finally complete in 2010, the sounds of the koauau, a type of flute, and pukaea, a trumpet, will be replicated, with these ranks of pipes located in the solo organ at the instrument's highest level.
The koauau pipes are made of glass fitted to oak bases while the largest pukaea pipes are made of wood.
Taonga puoro expert Richard Nunns, who, with the late Hirini Melbourne, is responsible for much of the resurgence in knowledge and musicianship around the instruments in the past two decades, offered advice on the project.
He said the melding represented something special in New Zealand music.
"No doubt the voices of taonga puoro are creeping their way in to orchestral work, into string quartets, into the world of jazz, into the world of popular music with Moana [Maniapoto], in fact I'm supposed to be recording some work with King Kapisi soon.
"I absolutely can't wait to hear what it sounds like."
Pukaea have a ceremonial purpose at powhiri but in the past were used in times of war and for rituals around planting kumara and other crops, Mr Nunns said.
The koauau was more ubiquitous, accompanying laments, played for enjoyment, and for the pursuit of communication with the spiritual domain, he added.
This week major work on the $3.5 million renovation, including new electrical wiring and fire protection measures, will be put in place.
The first of three containers of organ parts has also arrived back from Germany.
