Muriwai: where traditional Māori and Celtic instruments meet

Bob Bickerton and Ariana Tikao.

Whanganui is honoured to present Ariana Tikao and Bob Bickerton’s Muriwai, in partnership with Chamber Music NZ and Chamber Music Whanganui. The award-winning collaborators blend taonga pūoro (traditional Māori instruments) with vocals and Celtic harp to create a unique, lyrical story related to water and issues of climate change.

They will be performing on Sunday, October 13, at 4pm in St Laurence’s Chapel, 12 Gibson St, Aramoho. The name ‘Muriwai’ refers to a confluence of two rivers – as Tikao and Bickerton’s ethereal composition is a convergence of Māori and Celtic musical traditions.

This major new work journeys through time and place, beginning with a Kāi Tahu creation story linked to water, through to the arrival of people in Te Waipounamu, the South Island, our impact on the environment, and imagined consequences of our actions.

Similarly to the earlier concert given by the Kugels in May, the concert is a world-music-themed extra to Chamber Music Whanganui’s subscription series. It is the final concert for 2024 and we are delighted to once again be hosted in the recently refurbished St Laurence’s Chapel.

This is a rare opportunity to experience the sounds of taonga pūoro up close, together with vocals and Celtic harp. Following the performance, the artists will be available to answer questions from the audience.

Both artists are well-known in their fields. Ariana Tikao (Kāi Tahu) is a composer and performer of waiata in te reo Māori and English, as well as an exponent of taonga pūoro and a published author.

She has written many waiata in the Kāi Tahu dialect and has performed extensively around Aotearoa and internationally. In 2020, she was named Arts Laureate by the NZ Arts Foundation.

Her partner for this concert, Bob Bickerton, is a performer of both traditional Irish music and taonga pūoro and has recorded with Richard Nunns, and Aroha Yates-Smith, among many others.

He has performed extensively in concerts, festivals, and schools across Aotearoa and in 2015, he was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music.

■ Tickets for this concert are available in advance from the Box Office of the Royal Opera House, or at the door (cash only, no Eftpos). Adults $30, CMW subscribers $20, and students $5.

About the Partnership Series

Alongside its CMNZ Series, Chamber Music New Zealand collaborates with music presenters across the country to co-present a curated selection of outstanding musicians from Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.

Their engaging programmes celebrate the richness and variety of chamber music repertoire, including significant cornerstone works, new commissions, and repeat performances of enthralling New Zealand music.