Ko e Tohi Himi 'a e
Siasi Uesiliana Tau'ataina 'o Tonga

Tonga, with the influence of the Wesleyan Methodist tradition, is rich with polyphonic (multipart) music that is as much a part of congregational worship as any group meeting. At an early age, many Tongan children learn the complex numeric, tonic sulfur notation and multi-part singing that ingrains a love for music and parts singing enjoyed by Tongans.

Multipart singing in society is at such a high standard that it is degrading not to be able to quickly ascertain and sing effectively in the correct vocal range.

Helen Taliai's exercise in extracting the original tunes from which many of the Methodist hymns in Tonga are based provides musicians with Graf scale notation. A labour of love, the collection is targetted towards a growing generation of expatriates brought up on western music notation unfamiliar with the numeric, tonic notation commonly used by Tongan choirs and churches.

The collection also brings a single package where choir masters and enthusiasts can refer to the original music. Most choir masters are versed enough in the differences between graf notation and Tonga's peculiar numeric notation to translate the notation for the choir practise and performance.

The book is a good everyday tool for the many choir masters and hymn enthusiasts in Tonga and abroad interested in the Methodist hymns with roots in many different forms of music. Collecting corrections to the text and music, Helen has put together a complete package of the Tonga Methodist Church's hymnal influenced by Western music.

Topics of emotive content, as the Hymns are for most Tongans, are never far away from emotive rhetoric. Helen's own words, disclaimer, are good to remember when using and referencing the book, the work has been researched with the best of intentions, where shortcomings have incurred errors they are not intentional.

For those amongst us not as endowed with a pleasant vocal system, nor the dexterity for sound instruments, we can only hope that Helen can complete a commentary discussing how hymn writers came to select phrases, music and allusions that have become a communication reference for the people of Tonga. The hymns are quoted in regular conversation, political debate, kava circles, sermons and referenced in private reflections by multitudes of the people of Tonga.

Talateu

Lolotonga 'a 'ema ngäue 'i he Kolisi ko Tupou mo hoku husepäniti 'i he ngaahi ta'u lahi, na'a ku kamata ke tätänaki 'a e ngaahi tu'unga-fasi 'o e konga ki mui 'o e Tohi Himi 'a e Siasi Uesiliana Tau'atäina 'o Tonga (361-663). Na'a ku feinga ke fakatotolo ke ma'u 'a e ngaahi tu'unga-fasi na'e fili 'e Töketä Molitoni ke ngäue'aki 'i hono hiva'i 'o e ngaahi himi na'a ne fa'u.

'I he 'ema hiki mai ki 'Aositelelia ni 'i he ta'u 1980, na'a ku kei hokohoko atu ai pë 'a hono tänaki 'o e ngaahi tu'unga-fasi. Faifai na'e a'u ki he taimi ne u fakakaukau ai ke u feinga mu'a ke pulusi 'a e ngäue kuo u fai hei'ilo na'a 'aonga ki he to'utangata lolotonga pea mo e kaha'u. 'Oku te faka'amu ko kinautolu 'a e to'utangata fo'ou 'oku tupu hake 'o 'ikai te nau maheni mo e tu'unga-fasi faka-Tonga, ke nau kaungä 'inasi foki mo kinautolu 'i he koloa mahu'inga mo fisifisimu'a kuo fakakoloa'aki 'a Tonga e Töketä Molitoni mo ha ni'ihi. 'Oku 'ikai momo'i puli 'iate au 'oku kei lahi 'a e me'a ke fakalelei'i mo fakatonutonu 'i he ngäue kuo u fai. Ka neongo ia 'oku te tui kapau te u tatali kae 'oua kuo haohaoa, ta ko e ngäue ni 'e 'ikai pë ke toe 'osi ia. Ne u manatu leva kia Paula, "Tala'ehai ko 'eku pehë . . . kuo 'osi hoku fakahaohaoa; ka 'oku ou tuli atu pë, hei'ilo te u ala ki he me'a ko ia na'e ala ai 'a Kalaisi kiate au."

Ko e konga lahi 'o e ngaahi himi ni na'e fa'u ia 'e Töketä Semisi 'Ikani Molitoni ke ngäue'aki 'e he kau ako 'i he Kolisi ko Tupou. 'Oku te 'amanaki ko kimoutolu te mou ngäue'aki 'a e Tohi Himi ni, te mou kaunga 'inasi ai mo au 'i he fakatumutumu 'i he ngaahi taleniti fisifisimu'a ne fakakoloa'aki 'i he 'Otua 'a e faifekau/faiako ni. Kuo hoko foki 'a e lea 'o 'ene ngaahi himi ko ha me'angäue fakafonua ke ngäue'aki 'i he malanga, lotu, nusipepa, faikava, kätoanga, pea kuo 'aonga foki ki he tokolahi 'i he 'enau fie lotu, nusipepa, faikava, kätonga, pea kuo 'aonga foki ki he tokolahi 'i he 'enau fie 'unu'unu ki he 'Otua. 'Oku kau foki 'i he Tohi Himi ni ha fa'u 'a ha kau faifekau kehe 'o hangë ko James Egan Moulton Jnr., C.P. Walkden Brown, pea mo E.E.V. Collocott. Ko e ni'ihi kinautolu 'o ha kau misinale na'a nau ngäue 'i Tonga.

Kuo u tanaki fo'ou foki ki he Tohi Himi ni ha ngaahi himi 'e 12. 'Oku ou fakahä heni 'a 'eku fakamälö ki he ngaahi fämili ofi 'o e kau faifekau kuo pekia 'i he ngofua kuo u ma'u ke pulusi 'a e ngaahi fa'u 'a Rev. Dr. A. H. Wood, Rev. Sione Havea, Rev. Dr. C. M. Churchward, pea mo Rev. Tevita Mone. 'Oku hounga foki kiate au 'a e ngofua ne u ma'u mei he 'Ene 'Afio, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, ke kau ha taha 'o 'ene ngaahi fa'u 'i he Tohi Himi ni. 'Oku hounga mo'oni foki, pea 'oku ou fakamälö ki he tokolahi na'a nau tokoni kiate au 'o lava ai 'o fakakakato 'a e faka'amu mo e misi na'a ku ma'u ke tänaki 'a e Tohi Himi ni. Ko eni 'a e ni'ihi 'e 'ikai ngalo 'enau tokoni Margaret mo Murray Thomas na'a na fai 'a e Typesetting, Rev. Colville Crowe mo e kau ngäue a e Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, John Hewitt, kae'uma'ä foki 'a Sione 'Oleti Täufa. 'Oku hounga foki mo e poupou na'e fai 'e he Kömiti Konifelenisi 'o e Siasi Uesiliana Tau'atäina 'o Tonga.

Oku faka'osi 'a e fakamälö ni 'aki 'a 'eku manatu mo e 'ofa ki he 'iku ongo mätu'a 'a Ron mo Ruth Woodgate 'i he 'eku tupu hake 'i he lotofale 'oku 'apasia ki he 'Otua pea u ako ai foki ke manako 'i he hiva mo e ngaahi himi 'o e Siasi. 'Oku 'ikai foki ke ngalo 'a e lauiafe 'o e ngaahi to'uako 'o e Kolisi ko Tupou na'e hoko 'enau hiva'i 'o e ngaahi himi ni 'i he Sapate ki he Sapate 'i he ngaahi ta'u lahi ko e ma'u'anga ivi mo koloa fakalaumälie kiate au. 'Oku 'ikai foki ke u lava 'o fakangalo'i 'a e poupou mo e tokoni na'e fai 'e hoku husepäniti, 'a Siupeli, pea mo 'ema fänau, 'Ikani, Lesieli mo Henelë.

'Oku ou fakatäpui 'a e Tohi Himi ni ke längilangi'ia ai 'a e 'Otua pea mo e ngäue 'a Hono Siasi.

Helen Ruth Taliai, 1996.

The Friendly Islands Book Shop
Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai, 'Eua
Tonga

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Nuku'alofa
Tonga

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