Three Karakia, for improvising ensemble
Composed 2024, flexible duration
Dedicated to Sally Jane Norman.
Comissioned by Kira Omelchenko, with funding from Creative New Zealand.
These short pieces invoke traditional karakia from te ao Māori, as an incantation to bring people together, and focus on a common purpose, at the beginning of an event. The three movements are addressed to Ranginui (the sky), Tangaroa (the sea), and Papatūānuku (the earth).
In its present form, the score provides a sequence of pitch centres, and the implication of melodic contour. The details of the work presented here were then devised through a collaborative process with the members of the Te Kōkī orchestra, led by Kira Omelchenko. Through this process the players share in the authorship, and creative ownership, of the music. Tēnei te mihi nui ki a rātou katoa. Te Kōkī, the New Zealand School of Music holds a significant place in my own musical whakapapa, and it has been an honour and a delight to have spent time working with the orchestra this year.