Sunday afternoon at the heritage St Georges Anglican Church in Thames was the scene of an outstanding quality concert this past weekend. The full concert featured Manu Matatahi, a youth-driven contemporary barbershop choir combining a unique blend of Te Ao Maori and barbershop harmony. They gave magnificent renditions of songs such as Bridge Over Troubled Waters to four-part harmonies whilst doing vigorous poi dancing. The voice quality was excellent but natural and the obvious love of singing and performing shines in each of them.
This group placed well in the recent international competitions in USA where there were 38 competitors. Manu Matatahi always welcomes new members – you can find them in the Marian School |Hall, Hamilton, on Thursdays from 7.15pm.
They will be coming back to Thames next year for the 50th anniversary of the Thames Music Group who is responsible for all of these wonderful Sunday afternoon concerts.
One concert goer who came to their first Thames Concert last year was so moved by their talent and their presentation she offered to use her skills as a weaver to provide a very special part of their unique style of presentation.
Inspired to weave for them
By Susan Griffiths
By total chance I was passing through Thames at Matariki last year, saw the ad in The Informer and went to see them perform. I was impressed by their singing and in particular, the blend of Maori and barbershop.
I spoke to them afterwards and, being a weaver, was interested in the cloaks they were wearing. The young people told me they were borrowed. That got me thinking and I later made contact and offered to make them cloaks of their own with their name in Taniko. The rest is history. I’ve become part of their whanau and they of mine. I’ve had some of them come to stay with me here in Whitianga and spent a weekend with them at Hokonui marae near Hamilton.
Last year they won the New Zealand championships and they are recently back from the world competitions in USA .
They are Hamilton/Waikato based, very diverse ethnically and in so many other ways. They are a truly wonderful group of young people- some of them still at school.
