Matariki star cluster (also known as the Pleiades, The Seven Sisters, Messier 45, Subaru...) Photo: Unsplash / Anders Drange
Humans around the world and across time have marked the the seasonal cycles and our connection to the Earth.
The appearance of certain stars in the sky provided a calendar for our ancestors to track the timing of seasons and celebrations. Often these were marked by gathering together to share food, stories, fire and music.
Aotearoa New Zealand's own winter solstice celebration and the Māori New Year is signalled by Puanga or the Matariki star cluster returning to the Southern hemisphere sky just before dawn.
This turning point of the seasons, from winter toward spring, is an opportunity for us to come together and reflect on the tau/year that has passed, celebrate the present, and look to the future.
Matariki Holiday on RNZ Concert Friday 24 June 2022
During each hour from 8am we will share a piece of music which we think reflects the attributes of one of the stars of Matariki, culminating in listener’s requests in honour of Hiwa-i-te-rangi - the wishing star between 4 and 6pm.
- 8am hour: Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people.
- 9am hour: Waitī is associated with all fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters.
- 10am hour: Waitā is associated with the ocean, and food sources within it.
- 11 am hour: Waipuna-ā-rangi is associated with the rain.
- Noon hour: Tupuānuku is the star associated with everything that grows within the soil to be harvested or gathered for food.
- 1pm hour: Tupuārangi is associated with everything that grows up in the trees: fruits, berries, and birds.
- 2pm hour: Ururangi is the star associated with the winds.
- 3pm hour Pōhutukawa is the star associated with those that have passed on.
- 4-6pm: Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the star associated with granting our wishes and realising our aspirations for the coming year. (Audience requests)
You can find out more about the Matariki star cluster on the Te Papa website
Onstage between 1-3 pm will have an elemental theme today.
At 7pm we start a brand new three-part series Te Matatini 50, celebrating a half-century of New Zealand’s foremost Māori performing arts festival and national kapa haka competitions and features songs performed at Te Matatini over the past 50 years. Some of these were recorded by previous versions of RNZ, some are brand new with many being made available to the public for the first time. Click here to find out more and listen now:
Te Matatini 50
Julian Wilcox and Rob Ruha present a selection of waiata, both archival and newly recorded, in celebration of 50 years of kapa haka competition at Te Matatini. Audio
Part one of Te Matatini 50 will be broadcast at 7pm Friday, part two 7pm Saturday and part three at 7pm on Monday of Matariki weekend.
Music Alive on Matariki
Mere Boynton singing in Ngā Hihi o Matariki Photo: Screenshot NZSO/Latitude Creative
8pm: Listen to our award-winning recording of Ngā Hihi o Matariki by Gareth Farr with Ariana Tikao (taonga pūoro and reo oro), Mere Boynton (reo oro), performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New.
The New York Festivals Radio Awards 2022 recognised this RNZ Concert recording with a silver medal for Best Live Sound.
9:30pm (ish) Ad Parnassum - Purapurawhetū (debut broadcast)
Photo:
A new Gillian Whitehead piece composed especially for a Good Company Arts dance film Ad Parnassum - Purapurawhetū which opened at The Christchurch Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora this week.
The music is performed by NZ String Quartet and Al Fraser (taonga puoro). We broadcast this courtesy of GCA. Kia ora!
Find out more about this project - and the painting that inspired it - in this interview between RNZ's Lynn Freeman, the composer Gillian Whitehead and Daniel Belton of Good Company Arts:
Ad Parnassum - Purapurawhetu dance film series
A blend of Pacific and Mediterranean of ancient and right now, is promised in a new dance film series shot by Daniel Belton and scored by Dame Gillian Whitehead. Audio
Sound Lounge on Saturday at 9:30pm features NZ compositions about stars and other celestial objects from Eve de Castro-Robinson, David Hamilton, Ruby Solly, Rob Thorne, Leonie Holmes and others.
Hymns on Sunday at 7:30am (26 June) touches on some of the themes of Matariki in this week’s selection of hymns.
New Horizons on Sunday at 5pm William Dart remembers some artists he's interviewed over the years and plays a selection of music from Māhinaarangi Tocker, Hinewehi Mohi, The Tahiwis, Hannah Tatana and Herbs.
Mānawatia a Matariki — Welcome to Matariki / celebrate Matariki with RNZ Concert - home to the finest music in New Zealand.
