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Contributor


Mere Boynton

Composer, Performer, Māori Composer

Biography

Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Oneone, Ngāi Tūhoe

Mere Tokorahi Boynton is a singer and actor, well known for her role as Mavis in the internationally acclaimed movie Once Were Warriors. Her true passion, however, is singing. She has had formal vocal training at the Conservatorium of Music in Wellington, and her desire to sing in te reo Māori as well as her experience in Māori performing arts and music have helped Mere develop a style of singing that draws on both her classical training and her taha Māori.

Some of her most memorable singing engagements to date include Gareth Farr's Te Papa (composed specifically for the opening of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa), singing and touring nationwide in the dance opera Jerusalem by Michael Parmenter and performing in Te Tangata Whairawa o Weneti (the Māori Merchant of Venice).

In November 2001 Mere travelled as a member of the Prime Minister's cultural entourage to South America, supporting the Prime Minister at various engagements with concerts. In 2006 she performed the lead role, Taranga, in Maui One Man Against the Gods. She also performed with avant-garde theatre company MAU at the Vienna Mozart Festival in Requiem, which was commissioned by Artistic Director Peter Sellars for the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart. Requiem was also presented in Brussels, Auckland, London and New York.

In 2013 Mere sang in Jack Body’s Songs and Dances of Desire with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for the Auckland Arts Festival as well as in Tokyo, Japan. In 2013 – 14 she performed again with MAU in the acclaimed all Māori women production, Stones in Her Mouth, as well as in I Am, a commemoration of the First World War Centennary WW100 in Europe, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.


Composed (17)

A Soft Peace

for voice and chamber ensemble, 4m 14s


From Knowledge

for voice and chamber ensemble, 3m 41s


Hau (reimagined)

for voice and glass, 4m 17s


His Hands Are Golden Rods

for voice and chamber ensemble, 5m 16s


How You Love to Gaze

for voice and chamber ensemble, 3m 26s


I Sleep but My Heart Waketh

for voice and chamber ensemble, 7m 10s


It's My Belief

for voice and chamber ensemble, 4m 18s


Kiss Me My Darling

for voice and chamber ensemble, 3m 18s


Light Pressure Building

for voice and chamber ensemble, 6m 5s


Mana Tawhiti

for voice and pumotomoto rākau mataī


Oh Solomon

for voice and chamber ensemble, 4m 32s


Rawhitiwhiti

for high voice, string quartet and percussion, 6m


Rere Atu Rere Mai

for high voice, string quartet and percussion, 5m


Tangi Haehae

vocal duo and percussion, 4m


Tui, Tui, Tuia

for high voice, string quartet, percussion and piano, 6m


Would Not Let Him Go

for voice and chamber ensemble, 3m 54s


Āio

for voice and piano, 1m 45s



Performances (1)

NZSO | Matariki (Wellington)

__Gemma New__ | conductor __Ariana Tikao__ | taonga pūoro __Mere Boynton__ | kaikaranga ...