Bass Eddie Muliaumaseali'i Photo: Supplied
Eddie Muliaumaseali'i remembers when Rotorua's Opera in the Pā was in a pā.
These days the annual event is too big for a marae, and is hosted in the city's Howard Morrison Centre.
The Kiwi-Samoan bass is speaking to RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump ahead of this year's event, on Sunday 2 March.
Turns out Muliaumaseali'i, now based in Australia, is going to great lengths to take part. He's talking to Crump in Sydney ahead of a matinee opera performance there on Saturday afternoon, before boarding an evening flight for Auckland, overnighting in an airport hotel, then driving to Rotorua on Sunday morning in time for the gig.
But maybe there's something about the Sir Howard Morrison Centre that keeps Muliaumaseali'i coming back, because that first performance in a pā led to a meeting with the great Sir Howard himself. And to this day, it remains one of the greatest thrills of Muliaumaseali'i's international career.
It was his first performance on a marae, and Sir Howard Morrison lived just behind the pā.
"And we were rehearsing one afternoon... and he came down just wearing his tracksuit and hoodie, and after the rehearsal, everyone just flocked to see him, there were people just all over him."
Muliaumaseali'i wanted to say 'hello' too, but he thought it might be better to give Sir Howard some space. After all, he was just a young singer making his way in the opera world at that point.
Sir Howard Morrison; knew a thing or two about singing. Photo: Sourced online.
"I went inside the marae to get changed, and when I came out, he was standing there waiting for me. He came over and stood in front of me, put his hands on my head and he said, "Good boy, you've got a special voice, you're very, very special".
"I haven't been star-struck like that since."
A quick listen to this video of Muliaumaseali'i singing in the New South Wales Art Gallery, and we think you'll agree Sir Howard was onto something.
For this year's Opera in the Pā, Muliaumaseali'i is bringing his partner, English mezzo soprano Sarah Sweeting, as well.
Also joining the variety concert of opera arias and show songs will be Otago counter-tenor Austin Haynes, Nathan Hauraki, a tenor from Auckland, and local talent Nikau Grace Chater.
We'd also like to think Sir Howard might be listening in from that great gig in the sky.
