Page 5 - 1977 News Clippings

School group To Tour Britain

Members of the Ngaruawahia High School whose carvings are in New Zealand House,
Maori club pose for the camera. In the London. Puke Poutapu is the Grandson of the
foreground are, from left, Kani Te Wiata, Puke late master carver at Turangawaewae, Mr
Poutapu and Manaia Te Wiata. The Te Wiata Wiremu Poutapu.
boys are grandsons of the late Inia Te Wiata,

Waikato Times Braithwaite. “They are also School Visit
September, 1977 practicing very hard and are The organisers will pay
making their own costumes.” expenses such as
The Ngaruawahia High accommodation of the young
School’s Maori culture group No Guitars performers.
has been invited to perform in Students hoping to be After the Aberdeen
the International Festival of picked for the tour party are Festival the Ngaruawahia
youth orchestras and aged between 15 and 17. Not group will be expected to give
performing arts in Aberdeen, all are of Maori descent. performances in other places
Scotland, next August. Under the leadership of in Britain.
New Zealand has never Mrs Huia Dixon and Jacob The festival’s invitation
been represented by Puke is at great pains to make to Ngaruawahia High School
performers at one of the its performance as authentic which has a roll of 600 is a
festivals, which draw traditionally as possible. result of a performance given
orchestras, ethnic dance “The group is aware that by the pupils recently for
groups, and bands from many it will be New Zealand Maoris British conductor Nicholas
parts of the world. on show,” said Mr Braithwaite. Braithwaite - a cousin of their
A teacher at Ngaruawahia “We are checking everything teacher - when he visited the
High School, Mr W. A. out. There will be no guitar school.
Braithwaite, said that the 40 accompaniment when we are Mr Warwick Braith-waite
children in the party would performing at the festival and said: “Nicholas later wrote to
have to find about $600 each at other official occasions.” me on his return home telling
for their return fares. The festival is run under me how impressed he was and
In a town as small as the auspices of the Internation how he thought there could be
Ngaruawahia raising such an Festival of Youth Orchestras a chance for a Maori group in
amount might prove difficult, Foundation of Great Britain, the international festival.
he said. the corporation of the city of
“But the day we told the Aberdeen and the British
kids about the invitation they Tourist Authority.
were busy organising
fundraising,” said Mr