Toiere

Toiere (meaning to sing) unites beloved operatic arias, duets and ensembles in their original languages and te reo Māori, celebrating voice, language and identity while honouring Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich cultural landscape and opera’s universal emotions.

Presenting these works in both te reo Māori and their original languages celebrates music’s power to transcend boundaries, deepen connections to heritage, and create new traditions. Experience the beauty, drama, and emotion of these operatic treasures — reimagined through the lens of Aotearoa’s rich cultural tapestry.

Toiere was presented by Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival in partnership with NZ Opera.

Listen to the full Toiere​ performance on RNZ Concert, or watch and listen here, from 7pm Saturday 20 September 2025.

Audio by RNZ Concert. Video by SOUNZ.

Performers:

Te Ringatohu, He Kaitito, Te Kaiwhakataki | Director, Composer, MC: Kawiti Waetford

Te Ringatohu Puoro, He Kaitito | Music Director, Composer: Robert Wiremu

He Kaihāpai i te Reo: Pānia Papa

Te Kaiwhakatangi piana | Pianist: Juan Kim

Ngā Reo Takitahi | Soloists: Katherine Winitana, Elisha Fa’i-So’oialo, Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono, and Joel Amosa.

Repertoire:

Ka Mate Ka Mate - Te Rauparaha me Te Rangi Hīroa

Ka tīmata ki a Ka Mate Ka Mate, ki tētehi waiata i titoa ai e Te Rangi Hīroa. Kua whakakākahungia ki te kupu Māori e Te Waihoroi Shortland. Ka whai wāhi ki te waiata nei te haka rongonui i titoa ai e te rangatira o Ngāti Toa Rangatira, e Te Rauparaha. Mā te horopaki opera e whakatairanga te wāhi nui whakaharahara ki te waiata me te haka i ngā pūrākau — e mārō ai te tūāpapa o te whakamoenga o te opera ki te reo Māori.

We open with Ka Mate Ka Mate, a piece composed by Te Rangi Hīroa, with Māori lyrics by Te Waihoroi Shortland. This work incorporates the iconic haka composed by Ngāti Toa Rangatira chief Te Rauparaha, and its operatic setting honours the profound role of waiata and haka in our storytelling traditions — establishing the foundation for a dynamic fusion of opera and te reo Māori. 

 

Madamina, il catalogo è questo - W.A. Mozart (Don Giovanni)

Ka tukua e Leporello, e te hāwini mūrere a Don Giovanni, tēnei āria pūhohe e tohu ana i te makaurau o tana rangatira.

Leporello, the cunning servant of Don Giovanni, delivers this tongue-in-cheek aria, listing his master’s numerous romantic conquests.

 

Una Voce Poco Fa - Gioachino Rossini (Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

Ka whakapuakina e Rosina, e āta mātaitia ana e tana kaitiaki, e Dr. Bartolo, tana aroha ki a Lindoro (ko Count Almaviva kē) i tēnei āria kakama.

Rosina, kept under the watchful eye of her guardian Dr. Bartolo, expresses her love for Lindoro (Count Almaviva in disguise) in this lively aria.

 

Che gelida manina / Sì, Mi chiamano Mimì / O soave fanciulla - Giacomo Puccini (La bohème)

Ko Parī te wāhi. Ko ngā tau 1830 te wā. I mua i te aonga o te Kirihimete, i te tūtaki tuatahitanga o ō rāua kanohi, ka mate te toikupu, a Rodolfo rāua ko te ringatui, ko Mimì i te aroha. Ka mau i roto i ngā āria e toru nei te kāpura o te aroha i waenga i a rāua, i ngā moemoeā o Rodolfo ki te hūmārie o Mimì, ka oti atu ki te waiata takirua ka topa i te rangi i runga i ngā hau o kohara me awhero.

On a cold Christmas Eve in 1830s Paris, poet Rodolfo and seamstress Mimì fall in love at first sight. These three interwoven arias capture the spark of their romance, from Rodolfo’s dreams to Mimì’s quiet charm, culminating in a soaring duet of passion and hope.

 

Barcarolle (The Tales of Hoffmann) / Hoea Rā - Jacques Offenbach / P. H Tomoana 

Rērere ana te waiata nō Les contes d’Hoffmann i te pō rorotu i Wēneti, i a Giulietta rāua ko Nicklausse ka waiata mō te ātaahua me te pirikoko o ngā kōawa i te atarau; e kūare ana ki te whakamoho me te mōrearea ki tua. Mau ana i te waiata takirua nō Lakmé te tokonga o te aroha i waenga i a Lakmé me tana hāwini, me Mallika i a rāua e kohi putiputi ana i te tahatika; he ao māoriori tē ueuea — i tēnei wā — e ngā āhuatanga ka wewete i te here ā kō ake nei. Ka tuia atu ki te huinga waiata nei a Hoea Rā nā P.H. Tomoana, e rere ai te reo ahurei o Aotearoa me ōna rangi e tārua ana i ngā kaupapa o te haerenga, o te wai, me te hononga i waenga i ngā ahurea.

The Barcarolle from Les contes d’Hoffmann drifts through a mesmerising Venetian night, as Giulietta and Nicklausse sing of the beauty and mystery of the moonlit canals, unaware of the betrayal and danger that lie ahead. Hoea Rā, composed by P.H. Tomoana, adds a distinctly Aotearoa voice to this tapestry, its flowing melody echoing themes of journey, water, and connection across cultures.

 

Pourquoi me réveiller - Jules Massenet (Werther)

E tangi ana te toikupu, a Werther, e ngaukino nei tana mate konehe ki a Charlotte, i te rangitahi o te harikoa i tēnei āria hinapōuri. Ka riro mā ngā rangi pūawhe a Massenet e ū ai te kakati o tana pōuri; nā konei, koinei tētehi o ngā tūāhua whakaaroharoha katoa i te ao o te opera.

Poet Werther, tormented by unrequited love for Charlotte, laments the fleeting nature of happiness in this heartbreaking aria. Massenet’s sweeping melodies heighten the intensity of his sorrow, making this one of opera’s most poignant moments.

 

Au fond du temple saint - Georges Bizet (Les pêcheurs de perles)

He whakapuakanga whai tikanga tēnei waiata takirua nā Nadir rāua ko Zurga nō te pirihonga me te kūwata o ngā hoa nō ō rāua mahara ka hoki ki tō rāua aroha ngātahi ki te ruahine, ki a Leïla. Ātaahua ana te mau o te ita me te tāwekoweko anō hoki o tō rāua hononga i te whiringa o ngā rangi a Georges Bizet.

This duet, sung by Nadir and Zurga, is a powerful expression of friendship and longing as they reminisce about their shared love for the priestess Leïla. Bizet’s intertwining melodies beautifully capture their deep yet fragile bond.

 

Il lacerato spirito — Giuseppe Verdi (Simon Boccanegra)

He mea tuku e Fiesco tēnei āria me ōna oro huamo i runga i te hākerekere nōna e pākatokato ana i te matenga o tana tamāhine, o Maria. Whakaatahia ai e ngā reo niko me te patō o ngā kupu ngā kaupapa o te opera nei, arā, te mana tōrangapū me te pānga mai o te ringa kaha o Aituā.

Fiesco, grief-stricken by the loss of his daughter Maria, sings this solemn aria, filled with sorrow and regret. Verdi’s dark harmonies and dramatic vocal lines reflect the opera’s themes of political power and personal tragedy.

 

O mio babbino caro — Giacomo Puccini (Gianni Schicchi)

I tēnei tono māhaki, ka inoi a Lauretta ki tana pāpā, ki a Gianni Schicchi, kia tukuna ia kia moe i te tāne e arohaina ana e ia. Ahakoa nō tētehi opera pukuhohe tēnei āria, nā te motuhenga o te ngākau atawhai e whakapuakina ana e te āria nei tae atu ki te topa haeretanga o tōna rangi, kua tino nui te paingia o tēnei waiata a Giacomo Puccini e te tangata.

In this tender plea, Lauretta begs her father, Gianni Schicchi, to let her marry the man she loves. Though from a comic opera, this aria’s heartfelt sincerity and soaring melody have made it one of Puccini’s most beloved pieces.

 

Whakaaria Mai — Canon Wiremu Wi Te Tau Huata

Ahakoa ko te rangi o te waiata nei e whai ana i tō “How Great Thou Art,” he whakamāoritanga ōna kupu i te wairua o tētehi whiti nō te hīmene o “Abide with me.” He mea tito e te uri o Ngāti Kahungunu, e Kēnana Wi Te Tau Huata — he Kēnana nō te Hāhi Mihingare i tū rā hei “padre,” hei minita mō Te Hokowhitu a Tū, ā, kua paingia whānuitia te waiata nei hei wāhanga mō ngā karakia i ngā hāhi maha.

While the tune for the waiata is set to the music of “How Great Thou Art” the lyrics are a loose translation of a verse from the hymn “Abide with me.”. Composed by Canon Wi Te Tau Huata of Ngāti Kahungunu descent, an Anglican Canon who served as “padre” or chaplain for the 28th Māori Battalion, this waiata has become a popular waiata for multi-denominational church services.

Te Iere Tōiri : Robert Wiremu, music; Pānia Papa, lyrics

The new waiata Te Iere Tōiri was written by Robert Wiremu and Pānia Papa ONZM and was commissioned by Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has been the inspiration and catalyst for countless New Zealanders pursuing a career in opera. The adoptee from Gisborne who conquered the grand stages of Europe and America as a young star, who would go on to sing for at least one future king and welcome the new millennium on international television from the sands of her childhood town, continues to inspire and nurture new generations. From her beautiful home in the north of New Zealand, she can hardly be called “retired.” Whether chasing her dogs and grandson over the hills, giving international interviews via Zoom, appearing in photoshoots, serving as patron and adjudicator, or preparing singers for career-defining performances, she remains deeply engaged. She leads both the New Zealand and UK branches of her Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation with the same dedication that defined her career.

The music I’ve composed for this concert is a response to the words of Pānia Papa. Kiri is renowned for her interpretations of Mozart, Strauss and Puccini, but I have not tried to emulate these masters. Instead, we honour her in te reo Māori, not in Italian or German. These kupu, rich with imagery of birds singing, soaring, departing, and returning, of birds reaching great heights and seeking rest, are the foundation upon which my music is built. Listen for the birds tweeting and trilling, darting and gliding, and then coming to rest. Hear the piano weep, as if longing for the bird’s return. Beneath it all, a driving, insistent rhythm pulses through the piece - a reflection of Dame Kiri herself, one of the most hardworking people I have ever known.

- Robert Wiremu

I te tōpāparu o te waka o te tokānuku o te reo i te mahi a te titonga haka mō tā tātou taiopenga nui whakaharahara o nā tata nei i tū ai te ihiihi me te wanawana o te ao Māori, ka noho ko au hei kāinga rua mō tēnei titonga. Nō huatau ka rere ki te kahurangi taiea nei me te rōreka o tana reo tōiriiri, ka kotahi atu ki te kāpuhipuhi o te ngahere me ōna manu o reira; ki te pāorooro o te tioriwari a te riroriro, ki te iere tōiri a te kōkō i muri i tana inu i te waihonga o te pua kōwhai. Ka ahu mai ngā kupu o te waiata nei i te taiao hei whakatairite i te tau o te wahine nei me ōna pūkenga waiata ki te koea o ngā manu rangatira o Aotearoa. E tiu, e taku manu huatau, ki Rangi tiketike, ki Arawheu taketake!

- Pānia Papa

Programme notes and photos from Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival with thanks.