Written in the first instance for Waitangi Day 2002, there is a strong emphasis on the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) and subsequent struggles to secure justice for the indigenous people. It is highly suitable for use in churches and for wider use, including schools and on public radio.

This song starts and ends with an ecological theme. Salvation history starts with creation, before human contact. The first verse affirms God’s presence here before human contact, when ‘angels danced on the mountains’. ‘Moa’s Ark’ is a term coined by the botanist David Bellamy to describe this period of isolation from the rest of the world.

Maori arrived in c.1250 in waka (canoes), navigating by the stars (vs.2). They quickly set up whare (dwellings) and taught karakia (prayers). The next main wave of colonisation started with the arrival of whalers, missionaries and settlers (vs.3). English, French and German missionaries all translated the scriptures into Maori and their presence is implied in verse 3.

The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) between the Crown and various Maori iwi (tribes) recognised Maori rights to hold land. Missionary hopes for a new beginning with indigenous people were soon dashed, as settlers eager for land rode roughshod over the Treaty. The standoff was particularly sharp at Parihaka (1877-1883) (vs.4). Here, Te Whiti-O-Rongomai preached temperance and peace and, with his relative and fellow prophet Tohu Kakahi, protested the loss of all lands.

A century later, churches started to rediscover the prophetic strands within their own traditions. The land march or hikoi in 1975 from Te Hapua in the far north to Parliament Buildings, Wellington, embodied the call to return crown-owned tribal land to iwi and to work towards Maori self-determination (vs.5). The last verse affirms the land as already sacred and portrays our work for peace and justice as helping to create heaven on earth.

Hear the whole creation sing is in unison and accompanied by the piano and congas and bongo drums. The melody is by Bill Ahlers and piano accompaniments are by Peter Low (refrain) and Barry Brinson (verse). The verse and refrain together have a trance-like quality, like the wheel of life that cannot stop spinning. The refrain is harmony-driven and syncopated. In the verse a counter-melody of flowing sixths over the sustained pedal G lends a primeval effect and helps the singers to shape the phrases. Each time the refrain is repeated, it takes on meaning from the verse just sung. By the end, creation shows signs of freedom as human beings learn to live in harmony with the environment.

* The writing of this song was supported by a grant of $1,000 from the New Zealand Hymnbook Trust.

© Jane Simpson (2002)