Toi Warbrick and Palmerston North Choral Society's Pūoro o te Ngākau a treat

The performance of A&P Show from Graham Parsons' Songs of Home triggered memories of hot dogs, candy floss and champion beasts. Photo / Manawatū Heritage

Pūoro o te Ngākau: Music of the Heart
Toi Warbrick and Palmerston North Choral Society
St Peter's Church
Saturday, June 26
Reviewed by Judith Lacy

"Interesting." This was the word on the lips of concert-goers as we left the chilly-around-the-legs church.

Interesting is not a particularly interesting word. Ngahau is interesting in te reo Māori while in Latin it's novus.

Those were the three languages used in Pūoro o te Ngākau to tell the story of Palmerston North. It was a brave choice of choral society musical director Alison Stewart to invite Toi Warbrick to share Rangitāne history. It's a decision I applaud, one that paid off and one that seemed to be well received.

Toi Warbrick started with Okatia, a spirit living within the bark of a gargantuan tōtara tree, breaking a mountain in two in his determination to get to the sea, thereby creating the Ruahine and Tararua ranges. We learn the legend of why it is so windy in Manawatū, and the 19th-century names of Rangitāne pa and hapū sites. We also learn the last words of Rangitāne chief Te Peeti Te Awe Awe were "I have laid the foundation of friendship for your consummation". Wow, what a man who put vision before self.

It was a treat to have Warren Warbrick, a renowned maker of taonga puoro (Māori musical instruments) play, and Virginia Warbrick's performance voice impressed. Compared with Western orchestral instruments, the taonga puoro seem simplicity personified yet effective.

It didn't take much imagination to be transported to a forest, such were the talents of Toi Warbrick.

We moved into the region's agricultural roots with Graham Parsons' upbeat A&P Show a favourite.

"Vacuums, brushes, mops all squeezy,
fail to make our life so easy."

This and mention of the ghost train brought back memories of attending A&P shows and how Dad came home with an unwise purchase Mum was most unhappy about.

My companion, who has lived through much more Palmy history than me, said Parsons' Saturday Night Dance reminded her of when she used to attend dances at Kairanga Hall.

Baritone Lindsay Yeo's soloist verses were a delight, such a different role to that of lawyer Billy Flynn Yeo played in Chicago this year.

Mass voices can be blancmange - an indistinct blob lacking life and diction, or fruit salad - each part distinct and alive, but contributing to the overall effect.

The 50-plus choral society was definitely a fruit salad and the programme reflected the variety of hua (fruit) in Manawatū.

Last time I reviewed a choral society concert, I commented I'd like to see the names of all the singers listed in the programme. For this concert all the sopranos, contraltos, tenors and basses were listed - thank you.

Pūroro o te Ngākau was both entertaining and educational and worth braving the rain for.

My only recommendation is that when the choral society members were not singing they were still on stage and needed facial expressions to match their visibility to the audience.

By my reckoning there was a smaller turnout than for March's Music for Good Friday concert, which is disappointing given the songs sung were much more accessible and relevant to our celebrating city.