200 years of faith and 100 years of St Faith's

TRIBUTE: Rim D Paul is to lead the Aotearoa National Maori Choir at a special concert in Rotorua in November. PHOTO/SUPPLIED BY GLEN TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHICS 130914RIM

The centenary of St Faith's church on its present site and the bicentenary of Christianity in New Zealand are to be celebrated at Ohinemutu on November 1.

Headlining a concert to mark the dual event will be the 80-voice Aotearoa National Maori Choir under the baton of its founder Rim D Paul; 30 of its number are from Rotorua.

Mr Paul, a member of the Maori showband the Quin Tikis, has been working on the musical arrangements of the 30-item programme entitled Our Voices - His Songs and the choir has been rehearsing for the past year, he said.

There are to be solo performances from Bishop Ngarahu Katene, a former vicar of St Faith's with appearances by Rotorua-based entertainers Temua Brennan and Rewa Ututaonga and former Waiariki Institute of Technology music academy member and operatic soloist Kararaina Williams, along with Paul Walden, whose musical career spans 60 years, and former Hi Five showband member Horomona Solly Pohatu.

They'll be backed by the popular band Kairo with the present vicar of St Faith's, the Rev Tom Poata, narrating.

Mr Paul said as well as acknowledging St Faith's milestone the programme paid homage to 200 years of church music in New Zealand by adopting a more modern approach to it.

"It's amazing how many crescendos you can make out of amen and hallelujah," he said.

The programme would include a tribute to the Rev Ihaia Te Ahu who established the first Ohinemutu church to carry the St Faith's name.

"We want to acknowledge the work he did to bring Christianity to the Waiariki region," Mr Paul said.

Bishop Katene said the joint celebration would highlight how people had worshiped since the first hymn was sung at Oihi mission station in the Far North on Christmas Day, 1814. Rev Poata said it was an old Christian tradition for people to sing together.

"This concert's an old thread making a new dress," he said.

The Aotearoa National Maori Choir, in abeyance since 2002, was revived by Mr Paul last year to perform at New Plymouth's Womad festival.

The event is to be staged on Te Papaiouru marae in front of Tamatekapua wharenui . Tickets are $25 each and purchased by emailing tbarrett@slingshot.co.nz. For further information check out www.puoroproductions.co.nz. Spectacular St Faith's, Hotshot, B2