Huia and the Magpie is a collaboration between taonga pūoro, harp, cello, and vocal duo, Tāmira Pūoro (Ruby Solly and Michelle Velvin), arranger Seth Boy, and Gallery Orchestra. Huia and the Magpie features tunes from the previously released album Feather Spines by Tāmira Pūoro, with new arrangements for chamber orchestra from skilled composer and musician, Seth Boy. These arrangements begin with the soundscape of the ngahere which reflects an imagined folklore of Aotearoa, and are then blended with scoring that encourages a fluid way of playing and collaborating, within the context of not only classical music, but the many waters of musical whakapapa that flow into this collective. The recently formed Gallery Orchestra bring Seth Boy’s arrangements to life with their own understandings and experiences of using music to break down barriers in the world of music, and now te ao pūoro.

Within these compositions and waiata the listener will hear stories of love and loss such as that of the huia, and their imagined lover, the magpie. In this tale of the EP’s title track, the huia is lost to us because of its ‘otherworldly beauty’, a warning to us all as its extinct call echoes throughout the orchestra. As well as love and loss, there is duty and ceremony with Pure, acting as both a cleansing ceremony within music, as well as an aural representation of purity of sound and the communication that flows through it. In Take, the ensemble battles with both the notion of land and resources being ‘taken’ as well as the act of having a ‘take’ (an important task bestowed upon someone) to fix something that is wrong within the world. Throughout this kaupapa, Gallery Orchestra provides both a layer of support and understanding, as well as the flexibility for te ao pūoro to not be confined within the concert hall, but for all inside to open the doors to the outside world so music and pūoro can flow in and out as tides of sound in the Pacific.

The Gallery Orchestra is a recently formed classical ensemble in Te Whanganui-a-tara. It is an ensemble for students, graduates and freelancers. Gallery aims to challenge traditional conceptions of classical music, who can play and enjoy classical music, and provide professional performance opportunities for musicians starting their careers in the performance industry. Gallery received funding from the Wellington City Council Arts Grant for its first performance in August 2021. In December 2021, Gallery Orchestra recorded its first EP at Stella Maris Chapel with taonga pūoro/harp duo Tāmira Pūoro. Gallery Orchestra thrives when collaborating with other artists. In March 2023 they will be performing in the Fringe Festival alongside the Other Futures Big Band and recording an album with soul/jazz artist Arjuna Oakes in June 2023.