New Guitar Works Inspired by Māori Folk Songs
Over the past few years I have been preparing to publish a set of original guitar solos inspired by traditional Māori folk songs. The project began in 2018 at the encouragement of Wellington-based guitarist Gunter Herbig, who suggested creating something fresh and exciting for the classical guitar repertoire.
Rather than making straightforward arrangements, each piece has developed into a new composition in its own right. While the works occasionally reference their source melodies, they are more about capturing the spirit, rhythm and imagery of the songs — from gentle lyricism to dramatic, percussive energy.
The complete set of four pieces is now available as published sheet music:
Links to purchase through Lulu Publishing are included on each work’s page. Recordings of the pieces can also be found — either on Gunter Herbig’s Waitemata Reverie (Naxos, 2019) or via my own online performances — and each article provides direct links to the relevant music.
I’m delighted to finally share the full collection and hope guitarists will enjoy exploring these uniquely New Zealand–inspired pieces.