Dunedin in 2021 has been blessed ta fuck with arts festivals; March was the Dunedin Fringe, April was the Arts Festival Dunedin, and shortly in May we’ll be enjoying the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival.
The Fringe Fest was dope, and the Arts Fest included an immense array of talent. I managed to get myself to just one Arts Fest event — Bridget Douglas and Alistair Fraser at St Paul’s Cathedral.
While at their performance I found myself just beaming and glowing and closing my eyes and writing notes frantically. It was a wonderful experience. I understand Bridget and Al have since worked with a studio to record the pieces and I really hope we will all be able to purchase/stream/listen shortly.
I wrote a few stanzas while I was listening, enamoured, within the Cathedral. Since then I took a second whack at it. Below you will find the poem I have written to hopefully encapsulate the 55mins.
Whakarongo mai; panuihia.
In Response to Bridget Douglas and Alistair Fraser performing at St Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin, April 2021 Te ao Māori, te ao Pākehā commingle like brackish water a world of its own in quarter tones flourishing new known-unknowns Small birds appear from his mouth tiny peeps call and another sings back from her flute and now from his arm pūrerehua escape the bullroarer in four flutes and wood cocoons soft breathy blows tickle psyche skin Pounamu shard spins a detached wing ringing in turns bass flute oscillates human to whale to wind kiwi snuffling in the ferns Here his nose begins air cycles weave whip back and forth like Tāwhirimātea they reach out and catch a sea her whale sings with Takaroa wails to the shore of us breath leaving a body is a karakia Nodding a dance of skulls birds of stone and wood and silver bounce off each other’s lungs the path appears only as each step is made I am being called raised from this shell to forest oceans and rock walls ruru peek out exhale.