Friendship, injustice and eventual homecoming
EVEN before experiencing this new opera it was clear that this story of a friendship, injustice and eventual homecoming is not only a great story, but the ideal subject for an opera – in the right hands.
I must admit I am not a great admirer of the music of Jenny McLeod – personal taste – but, right at the outset, I have to say that this act of creation is, in its finest moments, deeply impressive. It gives great unity and integration that Mcleod not only composed the music but researched the story and wrote the libretto, the story a true tale of the life and death of Hohepa Te Umuroa – and with sets, staging and lighting distinctly impressive – a very polished framework is set up for the opera.
The first two acts set the scene, establish unlikely friendships, identify villains and introduce some domestic humour as the clouds of trouble gather. The casting is excellent, and no-one could quarrel with anyone vocally – from Phillip Rhodes as Hohepa, Nicky Spence as the Quaker Englishman to Jonathan Lemalu as Tu Kumete/blackie, Deborah Wai Kapohe as Te Tokotoko/te Waha, Martin Snell as Governor Grey, Jenny Wollerman as the Quaker’s wife, the narration of Rawiri Paratene, one could go on . . . Everybody gave their all, yet, somehow, it was just a touch uneven, creatively.
For me, the music of the first two acts was emotionally