Many people paid tribute to Richard and his work with nga taonga puoro at a concert at Te Papa on 18th May 2013.
There wasn’t time for everyone to speak – so here’s some tributes.
Most images in the slideshow are by Regan Balzer Arts.
From The New Zealand String Quartet
While the rest of the Quartet is in Canberra today, Helene will be representing us at a special concert tonight at Te Papa in honour of our very respected colleague and friend Richard Nunns. We’ve performed many times with Richard over the years both in NZ and overseas and we all join together in sending him our best wishes for tonight’s event.
Kia hora te marino, Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere te Kārohirohi i mua i tōu huarahi. May the calm be widespread, may the ocean glisten as greenstone, may the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway Richard.
Scott Wright
it was well worth the flight from sydney to see how many people richard has shared his life with. it was especially great to see richard, face time is so important.
Arapata Hakiwai
I can recall Richard and the the late Hirini Melbourne meeting with us over 15 years ago to talk about Hau manu and the various events that we did with them to support the revitalisation of puoro. Richard was one of the major puoro players who welcomed in the dawn of the new millenium in 2000 and we have held many puoro wananga and events since that time. Can you please pass on my best regards to Richard and say that we owe a big gratitude to both him and Hirini for what they have done to reclaim, retain and develop the matauranga of puoro. E kore e taea te mihi nui ki a koe Richard. Mai i te ngakau he tuku aroha tenei mo to kaha me to maia ki te pupuri tenei taonga o tuakiuki. May your future be filled with blessings.
(Arapata Hakiwai is from Te Papa Tongarewa; Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou and Ngāi Tahu; Principal Investigator on the NPM project Virtual Repatriation: A database of Māori taonga in overseas museums.)
Jack Body
Kia ora Richard,
I’m sorry I can’t be present on this auspicious occasion, to celebrate your life and work, together with your many friends and colleagues who have shared in your extraordinary life’s journey.
Your artistry, commitment and passion has given voice to musical instruments that had fallen silent, so that they now speak to us all, Māori and Pakeha. You have traveled the world, performing, giving workshops, collaborating with composers and improvising musicians to bring these instruments onto the international stage. You have taught and mentored new generations of performers, so that taonga puoro have become once again a living, dynamic and eloquent presence within the culture of Aotearoa. Your legacy is immeasurable. Thank you.
Annea Lockwood
Congratulations, Richard! Your essential and deeply influential contribution to music and its traditions in our country is such a great achievement. Like so many others, I too am very grateful to you for this, and also for the honour and pleasures of collaborating with you on ‘Wai Pounamu’, some years ago. I wish you many more fascinating journeys and discoveries. With love and gratitude, Annea.