This song-play by Mervyn Thompson investigates the injustices that the pakeha land courts has dished out to the tangata whenua over the years. It was premiered in January 1980 and toured under the auspices of the New Zealand Students Arts Council in 1981.
Glass Concert takes the form of a live performance with amplified glass, lighting and has been the cause of some controversy:
“One of the most serene and illuminating records of the avant garde, equipped with nothing more than glass objects and imagination.” Fordham, Time Out. London
“But where’s the music?” Barka, Liverpool Daily Post
This work is also known as The Glass World and was recorded under that title in 1970.
This four act opera with libretto by Witi Ihimaera is based on his novel Whanau and is the story of the writer’s life in an East Coast (New Zealand) village. It is scored for 23 soloists, chorus, full orchestra.