Fanny Howie
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Fanny Rose Howie ( or Poata; 11 January 1868 – 20 May 1916), also known by her stage name Te Rangi Pai, was a New Zealand singer and composer. Of
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
descent, she identified with the
iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...
of
Ngāti Porou Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou is affiliated with the 28th Maori Battalion and has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand ...
and
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui Te Whānau-ā-Apanui is a Māori iwi (Iwi is the Maori word for tribe) located in the eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions of New Zealand's North Island. In 2006, the iwi registered 11,808 members, representing 13 hapū. History Early ...
. The lullaby "
Hine E Hine "" is a lullaby in Māori written by Fanny Howie (also known by her stage name Princess Te Rangi Pai) in around 1907. History An instrumental version of "" was used from 1981 to 1994 as the New Zealand TV Channel 2's "closing-down song", which ...
" is her most famous composition, and she was well-known in Britain as a singer of opera and popular music from 1901 to 1905.


Early life

She was born in
Tokomaru Bay Tokomaru Bay is a small beachside community located on the isolated East Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is 91 km north of Gisborne, on State Highway 35, and close to Mount Hikurangi. The district was originally known as Toka-a- ...
, New Zealand, on 11 January 1868, the daughter of
Thomas William Porter Thomas William Porter (born Thomas William Potter; 2 August 1843 – 12 November 1920) was a New Zealand soldier and land purchase officer. He was born in Streatham, Surrey, England in 1843. He married Herewaka Porourangi Potai. Their children ...
and Herewaka Porourangi Potae (also known as Te Rangi-i-pāea). She was the eldest of their nine children. Her mother was the daughter of Tama-i-whakanehua-i-te-rangi (a high-ranking Ngāti Porou chief and signatory to the
Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
) and Mereana Tongia, and held high rank in Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Whānau-ā-Ruataupare and Ngāti Porou. From her mother, Howie would inherit the title of ''ariki tapairu'', meaning first-born female of a family of rank. Howie's father was a soldier and after his prominent role in the expeditions against
Te Kooti Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c. 1832–1893) was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatū religion and guerrilla fighter. While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Cha ...
was given command of the East Coast Militia and Volunteer District in 1877. The family settled on the East Coast, where he became
mayor of Gisborne The Mayor of Gisborne officiates over the Gisborne District Gisborne District or the Gisborne Region (Māori: ''Te Tairāwhiti'' or ''Te Tai Rāwhiti'') is a local government area of northeastern New Zealand. It is governed by Gisborne Dist ...
between 1878 and 1886, and Howie's mother was a well-known member of the
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church. Howie and her three sisters attended Mrs Sheppard's Ladies' School in Napier and were given a musical education at home, where their parents occasionally hosted touring musicians such as
Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company was series of professional children's troupes, first established in Launceston, Tasmania, in May 1880. Established by James Joseph Pollard, over the next thirty years several members of the Pollard family operate ...
. Howie impressed these visitors with her talent and in 1891, at the age of around 23, was encouraged by visiting singer Madame Patey to obtain formal training overseas. On 15 October 1891 she married civil servant John Howie in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
, and they settled in
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
where Howie became an amateur opera singer.


Overseas career

In 1898, Howie went to Australia to study singing, accompanied by her husband, and toured there the following year with speakers Charles Clark and RS Smythe, before returning to New Zealand. By 1900 she had starting using the stage name of Te Rangi Pai (meaning "the beautiful sky", and a shortened form of her mother's name) or sometimes Princess Te Rangi Pai. In December 1900 she travelled to England where she embarked on concert, oratorio and ballad training with (amongst others) the baritone
Charles Santley Sir Charles Santley (28 February 1834 – 22 September 1922) was an English opera and oratorio singer with a ''bravura''From the Italian verb ''bravare'', to show off. A florid, ostentatious style or a passage of music requiring technical skill ...
. Her vocal range was from
mezzo soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
to
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
and allowed her to cover many styles. In 1901 she gave her debut performance in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
under the stage name "The Princess Te Rangi Pai", and received praise from critics, after which she performed widely at
promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
and formal concerts, charity performances and all England's major concert halls, often aside leading singers of the day. She sang at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
on several occasions including at the Grand Irish Festival and Grand Scotch Festival, both in 1902. She also organised a colonial concert that same year at the
Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it ...
, featuring New Zealand and Australian vocalists as well as the performance of a
haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...
by a Māori group who had come to London for the planned coronation of
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
. A reviewer said that Howie "has a voice of admirable power and quality, and knows exceedingly well how to use it". Her husband had by this stage returned to New Zealand and after his departure she had little money and had to take any available engagement. On occasion this meant going without food in order to pay for the necessary outfits for her concerts. In 1903 she toured the United Kingdom with the baritone
Edward Rangiuia Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...
, who like her came from Gisborne, and a New Zealand representative brass band, the Hinemoa Band. She sat on the Children's Protection League committee and, at an entertainment arranged by the League, was invited to sing by
Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...
, which she said was "quite a special thing" and "of course, very gratifying". She sang before the King and Queen on several other occasions, and was able to perform a number of Māori songs for British audiences including many of her own compositions, of which the most successful was "
Hine E Hine "" is a lullaby in Māori written by Fanny Howie (also known by her stage name Princess Te Rangi Pai) in around 1907. History An instrumental version of "" was used from 1981 to 1994 as the New Zealand TV Channel 2's "closing-down song", which ...
".


Return to New Zealand

Howie's mother and youngest brother died in late 1904, and in consequence Howie returned to New Zealand in 1905. She intended to stay temporarily and to return to London via an American tour in 1908. In 1906 and 1907 she undertook several popular tours throughout New Zealand, performing to packed concert halls, including a tour with a concert party which included
Maggie Papakura Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...
. However, she was prevented from returning to London by ill health; she suffered from
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
and her health problems were exacerbated by disputes with her father, who had sold her mother's extensive Māori land interests. In 1908 she and her siblings failed to obtain a court judgment for the recovery of rent on one of her mother's former properties. In 1908, she retired from performing and moved to Gisborne to live with her husband, who had recently been appointed collector of customs for the
Poverty Bay Poverty Bay (Māori: ''Tūranganui-a-Kiwa'') is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawke Bay. It stretches for from Young Nick's Head in the southwest to Tuaheni Point in the north ...
area. In 1910, after her health deteriorated further, she went to live in a house built for her by her husband and adopted son on her ancestral land at Maungaroa, near
Te Kaha Te Kaha is a small New Zealand community situated in the Bay of Plenty near Ōpōtiki. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "the rope" for . The full name of Te Kaha is Te-Kahanui-A-Tikirākau. Te Kaha is ...
. Later in life she continued to teach singing and to compose her own original songs. She also learned to speak te reo Māori, her father having not allowed her to learn it as a child. She died at
Ōpōtiki Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a small town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Ge ...
on 20 May 1916, and was buried under a
pōhutukawa ''Metrosideros excelsa'', commonly known as pōhutukawa ( mi, pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display o ...
tree at Maungaroa. An instrumental arrangement of her lullaby "Hine E Hine" was aired on New Zealand television every night from 1981 to 1994 as part of the ''
Goodnight Kiwi The ''Goodnight Kiwi'' is an animated short which has been used to signal the end of nightly broadcasts on Television New Zealand channels. The ''Goodnight Kiwi'' features two characters: the eponymous Goodnight Kiwi (later also called TV Kiwi), ...
'' animated short. The animation signalled that the day's broadcasting had ended, and is considered part of "
kiwiana Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century, that are seen as representing iconic New Zealand elements. These "quirky things that contribute to a sense of nationhood" in ...
" or New Zealand culture.


References


External links


Fanny Howie
digital content held on
DigitalNZ DigitalNZ is a service run by the National Library of New Zealand and funded by the New Zealand Government hosting New Zealand-related digital media. The service is searchable and shareable, and reuse is allowed where possible. there were more th ...

Te Rangi Pai recital, 1906
includes a recording of "Hine e Hine" by soprano Te Mauri Meihana from around 1930 {{DEFAULTSORT:Howie, Fanny 1868 births 1916 deaths Ngāti Porou people Te Whānau-ā-Apanui people New Zealand composers New Zealand Māori women singers People from Tokomaru Bay 19th-century New Zealand women singers 20th-century New Zealand women singers