Concept well suited to its reverential venue

Poet Bill Manhire gives his performance Tell Me My Name with musicians (back, from left) Norman Meehan, Hannah Griffin and Martin Riseley. Photos: Peter McIntosh
Poet Bill Manhire gives his performance Tell Me My Name with musicians (back, from left) Norman Meehan, Hannah Griffin and Martin Riseley. Photos: Peter McIntosh
St Paul's Cathedral requires a certain serious and respectful demeanour from the visitor, not being the sort of place to foster rough, loud or boisterous behaviour.

So as a venue for Bill Manhire's Tell Me My Name, a performance with song, violin, piano, and a smattering of saucy Anglo Saxon riddles, it worked.

One enters quietly and deferentially, hushed of voice and bowed of head, surrounded by white-haired people wearing sensible red and blue parkas.

The artists enter from front left, and take their places.

Wellington's Hannah Griffin stands quietly for a moment, then with the simplest accompaniment by Norman Meehan on the piano, sings.

The audience laughs as poet Bill Manhire gives his performance Tell Me My Name.
The audience laughs as poet Bill Manhire gives his performance Tell Me My Name.
A cathedral can do singing.

A plaintive lyric ripples into the vast space, soon joined by the violin of Martin Riseley, and the whole is a performance that has found its space.

The music is interspersed with Manhire introducing and narrating riddles, translated from Old English or made up by himself.

Those riddles are in the songs performed, leaving the audience an intellectual exercise as they listen to the lyrics.

All of which would have added to the serious and thoughtful looks on the faces in the pews.

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz

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