Work
Hau
for cello and taonga puoro
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About
Hau means 'breath' or 'wind', but can also mean 'to strike' or 'to stoke' (not too gently!). In these senses it can be related to the action of playing the cello, from tapping its body through to bowing the strings. All sounds carried by the air, or wind. Hau is also the base word in Maori for energy: E rere ana te hau - energy flowing; Kua pau te hau - no more energy. The piece was composed partly with the aim of providing the cello with a pathway for a visit to the soundscape of traditional Maori instrumental music, centred on a purely musical dialogue between the players. Hau is in two sections played without a break. Pao, pao, pao refers to the tapping sounds which open the work, rhythm without pitch. This leads inperceptibly into the second section Tawhirimatea - voices of the winds. The concluding secion of the work may be though of as a dialogue of the north (cello) and south (taonga puoro) winds. The breaths of two worlds join harmoniously.
Notes taken from Toru, Atoll CD (ACD 143)
Dedication note
Special thanks to Tom Roa for his friendly advice and suggestions. Dedicated to the memory of historian Michael King, Hau was written for, and first performed by, Richard Nunns and James Tennant in Hamilton in 2005.
Performance history
25 Sep 2005: Performed by James Tennant (cello) and Richard Nunns (taonga puoro); Gallagher Concert Chamber, Hamilton
Recorded by Horomona Horo (taonga puoro) and James Tennant (cello) at the Gallagher Concert Chamber, Waikato University, November 2011.