Barefoot quartet play tonight

Musical renditions of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss flowed from a barefoot NZ String Quartet last night in Tauranga, with the group to play at the same venue tonight from 6pm.

Huria Marae in Judea hosted the free performance as part of the Battle of Gate Pa 150th Commemoration events –and it was the quartet's first time in 20 years playing on a marae.


Musicians Helene Pohl, Douglas Beilman, Gillian Ansell and Rolf Gjelsten play barefoot in the NZ String Quartet Concert at Huria Marae last night. Photo by Sarah Webb (nee Tulloch).

The free public event is featuring music from 1864, as a tribute to the fallen British soldiers and Maori warriors of the battle, which took place on April 29, 1864.

Gate Pa 150th commemorations project coordinator Buddy Mikaere says the idea of the concerts is to combine the two cultures by having classical music of the time played in a Maori location.

'Our hope is to provide events the general public will find interesting and lead to them discovering more about the Battle of Gate Pa that founded our city.”

Viola player Gillian Ansell says the string quartet is delighted to play in such an environment and to be part of the commemoration events.

'Our programme is varied and even includes a rendition of ‘Pokarekare Ana'."

Second violin player Douglas Beilman says the group noticed how good the acoustics were as soon as they arrived at the marae last night.

'It makes it even more of a pleasure for us and the audience.

'Learning about the Battle of Gate Pa has been interesting. I did not know about the Code of Conduct the Maori issued to the British prior to the battle, that preceeded the Geneva Convention,” says Douglas.

The Battle of Gate Pa was one of the few battles won by the Maori – and they were outnumbered by about 10 to one.

Gate Pa Reserve is the only urban battle site in New Zealand and is located right next to the Gate Pa Shopping Centre.

The general public are invited to the free events leading up to and including the commemoration on this Tuesday 29 April.

On the day there will be a dawn blessing of the new pou and flagpole at Gate Pa Reserve, full military service at the Mission Cemetery, a military march to the Gate Pa Reserve up Cameron Rd, massed wero and haka by iwi in response and an ecumenical service and ceremony.

Further information can be found at www.battleofgatepa.com

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