Tag: Spotify

  • Maoriland

    In the early years of the twentieth century New Zealand was marketed as a tourist destination as “Maoriland”. Maoriland… the term suggested travel and the romance of distance. It was used on postcards, and posters, and books. All proffered a view of the country as a place where the people and their traditions and culture…

  • Remembering conflict

    An ongoing exhibition in Ulster, Northern Ireland, is about the textiles that memorialise conflict. Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey brings together 29 pieces from across the globe, some of which are in the Museum’s collection. The textiles represent moments of of violence and conflict, violation and poverty, oppression and environmental issues as seen…

  • This week’s playlist

    Each week a playlist of music and sound is curated to go along with the blog entries. Each of the tracks has something to do with the blog although sometimes the connections might be obscure! To listen you can either click on the player above or head over to Spotify online or via app where…

  • Making yarn – a start

    The wool industry of Aotearoa New Zealand has been declining, at least where what is termed “strong wool” is concerned. Strong wool is the wool that is not “fine”. In Aotearoa (pronounced “Ow-teeAh-raw-Ah”) fine wool almost automatically means merino type and strong refers to all other types. The definitions rely on micron count – the…

  • The New Zealand Gown of the Year

    Between 1960 and 1964, in the Spring of the year, a trail of silver caravans travelled across New Zealand on behalf of “gaiety and glitter, chandeliers and champagne”. The New Zealand Gown of the Year Contest was truly “Fashion on Wheels”, the name splashed across the caravans. It took glamour across the country, although it…

  • The Spotify playlist

    Each week a playlist of audio is curated on Spotify. The playlist reflects the items on the blog, although sometimes the link may be somewhat obscure! To listen click on the player above or search for “Music to read a blog by” in the Spotfy app or website. If you are pay for a subscription…

  • Releasing kiwi

    Kiwi are the icons of Aotearoa New Zealand but, like many of the native birds, are in danger from introduced predators. Since people arrived in the country, kiwi have been under attack. Although they are a taonga (a highly valued treasure) and their feathers were used in the making of kahu kiwi (Māori kiwi feather…

  • What is on Spotify this week?

    This week the playlist features… Southern Alps by Gary Daverne Gary Daverne is a composer and conductor with the distinction of being New Zealand’s most prolific arranger and composer of music for accordion. This piece, Ka Puke Maeroero, is a tone poem that evokes the mountains of Te Waipounamu/ The South Island of Aotearoa. Driving…

  • This week’s playlist

    Each week a playlist of audio is curated to go along with the blog. The entries on the playlist have something to do with the articles on the blog although it is not always obvious what that link might be. To listen click on the player above or head over to Spotify and search for…

  • The listening tracks this week

    The playlist this week features: Safari by John Barry. British composer, John Barry, was known for his prolific output for film music. This track comes from Out of Africa, the cinematic rendition of Karen Blixen‘s famous memoir about her life in East Africa in the first decades of the Twentieth Century. That Happy Feeling by…