Maori Pageant

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 5, 16 August 1929, Page 12

Maori Pageant

Great Reception at Tramways Concert AS a fiitting finale to the Maori pageant giyen from 2YA on the evenings of Thursday and Friday last week, membérs of the Maori party‘ attended the concert given in the Opera House by the Wellington Tramways Municipal Band on Sunday evening, and gave some of their vocal numbers with action. Due to the announcement beforehand from 2YA of this procedure, there was an exceptionally large audience, Hundreds of people were turned away, unable to obtain admittance, and in the. house itself every possible vantage point was packed with humanity.c The reception accorded the Maori performers in. their various items was overwhelming, and a tremendous tribute to their popularity. This reception indicates that, should it ever be contemplated to put on a Maori performance in Wellington, the success would be outstanding. Special Message of Appreciation. So successful was the Maori pageant given by 2YA on Friday evening in the opinion of the Byrd Hxpedition that a special message of appreciation was cabled to the American Press by the Commander, The publicity thus given to New Zealand is of tremendous import. The message was as follows: Bay of Whales, August 9. We attended a Maori festival last night in New Zealand. At least we heard it as plainly as if we had been there, for it was broadcast from Wellington and reached us more clearly than any programme has.come through in a long time. _It was so well done that we stayed awake from 11 p.m. until 2 o’clock in the morning, and we were sorry when it was finished. It represented the history of the Maoris since their landing in New Zealand more than ’900 years ago, and in song and story traced their tribal life till the coming of the British and the final peace between the two races on the common ground of British citizenship. The ancient songs of the Maoris, to the accompaniment of their primitive instruments and chants and dances, teached.us perfectly. . With their wild rhythm they never had a more appreciative’ audience, even though unséen. Everyone was in bed with only candles and a lantern burning. But for the time we seemed far away from the ice. Message of Thanks, The following radio message, sent via the steamer Dleanor Boling, addressed to. station 2YA, Wellington, was received on Saturday by the Chief Telegraph HWngineer (Mr. A, Gibbs) :- "Your. broadcast came in perfectly. We heard every word, and enjoyed it beyond measure, and I want to send you the yery sincere appreciation of every one of us. Will you please thank personally for us every one of the performers who joined in giving us so much pleas:1re? Perhaps, when we teturn, we will get a chance to thank some of them in person. Kia Ora.-. Richard B, Byrd."