On Monday 13 May, we welcomed Matua Bob Bickerton, kaitiaki of beautiful taonga pūoro ("singing treasures").

Matua Bickerton is from Birmingham in the UK and moved to Whakatū/Nelson as a young person, and has become interested in taonga pūoro through his music career and connections with Hirini Melbourne, Richard Nunns and Brian Flintoff, a group of musicians called Haumanu ("breath of birds"). Haumanu also means "to revive", which Matua Bickerton finds fitting given the nature of their mahi.

He brought a range of taonga with him and shared pūrākau and history of the instruments, describing their whakapapa and demonstrating each of them.

The taonga are grouped according to the atua they whakapapa to; for example the porotiti and pūrerehua ("wind instruments") are the taonga of the god Tāwhirimātea. The porotiti is not just for music; we learnt that it can be used in rongoā (traditional Māori medicine) for treatment of ailments including arthritis and chest complaints.

Playing the porotiti.

The taonga of Hine Pū Te Hue (the goddess of gourds) includes the hue puruhau, poi awhiowhio, and kōauau ponga ihu (nose flute).

Kōauau ponga inu and hue puruhau.

Next we learnt about the taonga of Hine Raukatauri, the goddess of flute music and Matua Bickerton showed us a range of different kōauau (flutes), many of which were embellished with whakairo (carvings). One was even made from a whale's tooth!

Pūtōrino, ororuarangi, and nguru.

We experienced two taonga of Tangaroa, the god of the sea – the pūtātara and the pūpūharakeke. The pūpū harakeke is created from a snail's shell.

Playing the pūtātara.

Finally, Matua Bickerton showed us the taonga of Tāne, instruments which mimic the calls of mānu/birds.

Karanga ruru, which sounds like a ruru/morepork.

Matua Bickerton told us that he loves these taonga because he can't make music without them, and equally the instruments can't make music without the input of people. He said he doesn't have a favourite, but enjoys finding the right one which best fits the kaupapa (purpose), whatever that may be.

He has played these taonga in orchestral settings, including with a chamber quartet; and in commercial music production with musicians like Ariana Tikao.

We're grateful that Matua Bickerton came to Rolleston College to share this mātauranga with us.