River musicians undeterred by evacuation

The group on the Whanganui River -- from left, Ariana Tikao, Alistair Fraser, Elise Goodge, Matiu Bartlett and Te Paerata Tichbon. Photo: Charles Ranginui

A group of traditional Māori and contemporary musicians, who had embarked on a recording project on the Whanganui River this week have had to change their plans suddenly to accommodate the river in flood.

Ironically the project concept was hatched during the last flood event in 2015 and aptly named Te Pari o Auahatanga (the flood of inspiration).

After two years of planning, the group entered the river on Friday March 31 to begin a unique recording project that would see traditional Māori musical instruments, known collectively as Taonga Pūoro, recorded in situ on the river.

After alighting at Pipiriki on Sunday April 2, the group then travelled to Koriniti Pā where they set up a recording studio to record new songs inspired by the river environs and stories they learned throughout the journey.

Yesterday evening a state of emergency was declared in Whanganui and the group were advised by Civil Defence to leave while they still could.

They packed up the entire studio in less than an hour, racing the sunset, and headed back down towards Whanganui town.

They had to clear several slips on the road along the way to make it through.

"It was touch and go," says Elise Goodge, musician and trip coordinator, "the river rose so quickly over the course of the day, at afternoon tea we noticed it had come up again, by twilight it was up again by what looked like several metres, we knew then it was best we leave."

Ms Goodge says the group remain undeterred, despite the upheaval.

They have moved the temporary recording studio into the Whanganui Savage Club Hall and will continue working on the album throughout the remainder of the week.

"We were sad to leave Koriniti last night," said Ms Goodge "it is such a beautiful place and we had been given the great honour of using the Wharenui for our recording, everything was coming together well but the river had other plans."

The group had planned a free concert to preview their new compositions to the public at Koriniti on Thursday evening.

This concert will still go ahead but has now been relocated to the Savage Club Hall in Drews Avenue, Whanganui beginning at 6.30pm.