Pair forced to play it quiet
Two young Kiwi musicians have had to keep a big secret for the past few weeks.
It took all of their willpower, and daily reminders from their parents, to ensure they did not blurt out the big news.
They’re meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the Auckland leg of the pair’s New Zealand tour, and this time it will be up close and personal. Not like six years ago when they saw the Duchess of Cornwall from afar. Octavia Fa’aea and Enyah Talamaivao will represent Sistema Aotearoa, an O¯ tara-based trust associated with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, on October 30. Octavia, 15, said they couldn’t believe they’d been chosen. ‘‘I was very excited when I got the invitation. It was unbelievable. But we were sworn to secrecy.
‘‘Not even our musical group at Sistema knew that we were going to meet Prince Harry and Meghan.
Her mother Anna ensured she stayed mum.
‘‘Every day before leaving to go to school mum would remind me: ‘you know there is something you can’t mention’. I’d say okay, but I was getting tired of hearing it.’’
Sistema Aotearoa teaches Polynesian children to play classical instruments like the viola, violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet, and the trombone.
Fa’aea currently plays the viola while Talamaivao is mastering the violin.
If given the opportunity, Talamaivao already knows what she’ll say to the royal couple.
‘‘I’ll talk about Sistema Aotearoa and all the good things it does for Pacific Island students like me.’’
Her father, Sala Peter Talamaivao, 44, might be a tad more excited than his daughter about the royal rendezvous.
‘‘Never in a million years did I think one of my family will get to meet members of the royal family.
‘‘Samoa has historic links to the Crown and the royal family so for Enyah to get this opportunity to meet Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex is an honour and a privilege for her, the family and those young Polynesians who will be with her.’’