Pounamu means 'greenstone', a type of jade prized by the Māori people for use in making jewellery and tools. The word also evokes the sea, and this choral piece is inspired by the sparkling summer waters of New Zealand's Tasman Bay.
The resonance of the Māori vowel sounds is explored, and midway through the piece a waiata (chant) emerges, based on a whakatauki (proverb) of the Tainui people.
Pounamu was performed at the 1990 Asian Music Festival in Japan by the Sendai Hoso Choir. When this choir visited New Zealand in 1991, the flute part was performed on a shakuhachi (traditional Japanese flute). The work has also been performed using the koauau (traditional Maori flute).
It was a distinguished Māori statesman, the late Sir James Henare, who said "...the language is the core of our Māori culture and mana (prestige)", and "...as far as our people are concerned, (the language) is the very soul of the Māori people". Therefore, I hope that whoever sings Pounamu will achieve a performance of integrity by taking special care to pronounce the words of the Tainui whakatauki accurately.
