Contributor
Hirini Melbourne
Performer, Māori Composer, Composer
Biography
Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu
Hirini Sidney Melbourne, known for his significant work towards the revival of Māori culture, was from Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes.
He was a secondary school teacher and editor of several Māori language school publications. A writer of stories in addition to composer and singer, Hirini was a significant figure in the revival of the Māori language with dozens of his classic songs now regularly sung in classrooms throughout New Zealand. The power of his melodies and the brilliance of his compositions have still to be widely recognised beyond the classroom however.
During the last two decades of his life, Hirini's musical interests extended to a fascination with traditional Māori instruments. Initially intrigued by instruments found only in museum glass cases, he subsequently met ethnomusicologist and performer Richard Nunns. From 1989 onwards the two regularly performed together on marae and in schools, galleries and concerts. This partnership lead to the release of Te Ku Te Whe, a CD of original and traditional compositions for a variety of Māori flutes which has been awarded a Gold Disc Award. A second CD together with a DVD Te Hekenga-a-rangi was released in 2003.
In 2002 Hirini was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato where he had been a lecturer in the Department of Māori. He was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2003 New Year's Honours, just before his untimely death a week later.
In 2009, Hirini and Richard Nunns were together inducted into the "New Zealand Music Hall of Fame" in recognition of their contribution to the revival of interest in and understanding of taonga puoru.
Information about Hirini Melbourne and his music for film and television can also be found on the NZ On Screen website.
Composed (93)
for virtual instruments, featuring original composition by Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns, 4m 26s
for two voices with guitar, flute and field recordings, 2m 17s
for voice, putorino (or woodwind melody instrument) and birdsong, 1m 25s
for two voices with guitar and flute, 2m