Work
Pokarekare Ana
for two-part treble voices and piano
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About
Probably the best-known Maori song, Pokarekare Ana exists in various forms including different time signatures and rhythms. There continues to be some dispute over who exactly wrote the original version (or even if the melody was composed in New Zealand!). It is usually attributed to P.H. Tomoana, although this now seems unlikely. It first appeared around the time of World War 1.
One account of the writing suggests it was written by a lovelorn young man who had been refused permission to marry his loved one. The song was composed and sung to win over his prospective in-laws.
Commissioned note
Written for Auckland Boys Choir and conductor Stuart Weightman