Hīmene

Introcuding: Te Mīhana Collective

The Collective brings together musicians from across Tāmaki Makaurau, united by a passion to worship our Creator God in te reo Māori. They seek to resource Aotearoa with hīmene, waiata, and worship in te reo Māori – honouring tradition, inspiring a fresh sound, and drawing our nation and beyond into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

The Collective offers these waiata as a free resource, hoping they may be received as a taonga – used within churches and worship gatherings, for personal devotion, and to support whānau to worship in te reo Māori. We simply ask that it be received in the spirit in which it is given – shared freely, and not reproduced, altered, or used for commercial purposes.

He tīmatanga – our first instalment:

Te Īnoi a te Ariki | The Lord’s Prayer
Recorded live at Te Ana Tapu (Holy Sepulchre)

Lyrics | Ngā Kupu: Download here

Chords | Tangiata: Download below –
A Key, B Key, C Key, F Key

Credits | Ngā Mihi

• Vocals: Amiria Reid (lead), Lillian Rainsford, J’ael Warbrick, Eru Oneroa, Tane Tari
• Band: Paul Toilalo, Ronnie Eketone, Justin Kershwin, Hamish Fenwick
• Video by Ben Lewer
• Audio Recorded by Justin James
• Audio Mixed by Justin James and Paul Toilalo
• Audio Mastered by Vivek Gabriel 

Over the past three decades, the face of the Auckland Anglican Māori Mission (Te Mīhana Māori) has changed significantly with new generations rising, offering creative expressions of the Christian faith that speak to the world we now live in.

It is both inspiring and encouraging to witness the musical creativity flourishing across Te Hāhi Mihinare. In honour of our tūpuna, who blazed the trail before us, we humbly offer this first instalment – trusting it will be the beginning of many more to come.

Mā Ihowa koutou katoa e manaaki (The Lord bless you all),
Te Mīhana Māori Collective.

Paul Toilalo

Kaiwhakahaere Waiata | Music Director

(Ngāti Hamoa)

Married to the wonderful Naomi, and with their four beautiful girls Isabella, Hanaia, Manawa-ora, and Aamalia – we are grateful for Paul’s support in leading our sung worship and music projects. Paul is passionate about exploring the whakapapa of hīmene Mihingare, seeking to understand their origin and progression. Using this whakapapa lens, Paul is on a journey to help lead Te Mīhana in finding a new sound for of our collective worship – in this era and among this generation. Embracing our whakapapa, but also seeking the spirit’s guidance as to how we may need to be more dynamic/contemporary in some ways.
We are excited to be a part of this harenga and grateful for Paul’s leadership.

Want to know more or get connected into the kaupapa? – Contact Paul here: office@temihana.org.nz.

He Whakapapa – The Collective’s Origins

Paul’s journey into finding a passion for hīmene Māori (Māori hymns) began when Paul attended a Mīhinare service in Kaikohe after Waitangi commemorations. Sitting there hearing and singing these hīmene brought a sense of power with them – not just the sound, but the sense of whakapapa and faith carried through the music that brought back fond memories of his upbringing in the Samoan church. He soon discovered there were many more hīmene held within a book, a treasury of the songs, sprouting from a deep whakapapa of faith and grounded in the language of this whenua.

That stirring grew stronger through time spent with Bishop George Connor (Pīhopa Hori), whose deep knowledge and rich lived experience in Te Hāhi Mihingare (The Anglican Church) continues to be a source of inspiration. In those moments of listening and learning from Pīhopa, something was stirred – a deeper appreciation for the depth and beauty of the hymns within the life of the Church.

A simple but important whakaaro swelled in Paul: what would it look like for more people – particularly congregations – to be able to experience, learn, and sing these hīmene?

From there, the next step unfolded naturally. Paul began connecting with musician friends – people who had a genuine desire to sing in te reo Māori. Out of those relationships, and that shared longing, Te Mīhana Collective was formed.

What has emerged is something truly special. Between the whakapapa of the songs being sung, and the passion within the whānau involved – the Collective is a taonga – a rich and growing repository of faith, creativity, and culture. We are excited to see what will continue to come from the Collective and to share this freely with Aotearoa and beyond.