Te Harinui
By Willow Macky
Not on a snowy night
by star or candle light,
nor by an angel band
there came to our dear land
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i,
glad tidings of great joy.
But on a summer day
within a quiet bay
the Maori people heard
the great and glorious word
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i,
glad tidings of great joy.
The people gathered round
upon the grassy ground,
and heard the preacher say
"I bring to you this day.....
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i,
glad tidings of great joy.
Now in this blessed land
united heart and hand,
we praise the glorious Birth,
and sing to all the earth
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i
Te Ha-ri-nu-i,
glad tidings of great joy.
The summer day was about 1839, 'twas Christmas Day and the first Christian service held in New Zealand.
Jenny was asking about this Carol and said
"GREAT!!!! That is the song by Willow Macky...now I will give you a bit of info.
She wrote that song and was not sure how it was going to go, and at the time I was at a Girl Guide Training session at Arahina,the centre at Marton. And we got the song given in and were asked to see how it went.
It is also a round. "