B.

The Faulalo/Bull family
Samoan/Pākehā/New Zealanders

Life is Good
Composed February – July 2019
For 6-part unaccompanied voice, 3 mins 50 sec

The Faulalo/Bull family anthem sings of the excitement and vitality found in modern family life. Throughout the piece we hear a repeated rhythmic pulse of culture and praise “Malie le olaga, le olaga malie!” (Samoan for “life is good, how good life is!”). Alongside this pulse, a lively family chorus sings of routines, values, hopes and the cultural roots of the family tree. This involves a negotiation of many musical ideas. Unison, harmony and polyphony embody the busyness of young family life, with each family member contributing their own lyrics and ideas to the mix.

While this anthem is specific and important to the Faulalo/Bull family, they sing of themes familiar to many of us. Ideas of gratitude and participation, the sense of belonging that arises from being active community members, the spirit of hard work and practice, and sense of home that is formed through the feeling connected to each other and to family ancestry.

Ana utu Tiibin (the Tiibin family)
Kiribati/New Zealanders

Tangin Bwanaan Tebetebeke
(Voices from the Pacific Ocean)
Composed July 2018 – September 2019
For 5-part voice and guitar, 5 mins 40 sec

The Tiibins’ anthem considers the reality and possibility of having multiple homes and homelands. Their sense of belonging spans and connects two countries within the vast Pacific Ocean – Aotearoa New Zealand and Kiribati (pronounced “Kiribas”). The bond the Tiibins sing of is strong but fragile. Kiribati is one of earth’s most vulnerable countries with regard to the climate crisis. Rising seas imminently threaten to engulf the low-lying island nation, where the average elevation of the expansive archipelago is 1.8m above sea level. Already, waves wash right over low-lying parts of the land at high tide. Even if bold action was taken today, the fate of Kiribati is dire – within our lifetime most of the nation will be uninhabitable, swallowed by the rising sea.

Facing the realities of this climate emergency head on through song, the Tiibin family ask a profound question: how can a nation of people live on without physical land to rest their feet? How can culture, language and traditions survive and prosper when spread across many countries?

Director Blair Jackson and all of us here at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū invite you to join Bill Hammond’s family and friends at the Gallery on Friday evening to remember Bill and acknowledge his passing. As one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most respected artists, Bill leaves behind a superb legacy – an incredible body of work that will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Come along, raise a glass and help us celebrate the accomplishments of one of Canterbury’s finest.

Friday 5 February, 5–7pm

Bayleys Knight Frank Foyer

Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

In many ways, we’re all a captive audience this summer, and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū’s All Art All Summer season will bring local crowds face to face with work from local artists and some of its must-see treasures from 5 December 2020.

Combining artificial intelligence, highbrow concepts, lowbrow humour, dance and retro pop music, In Kahoots is an unforgettable summer experience, unique to each visitor to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū from Saturday 28 November.