Weavers of Song: Polynesian Music and Dance with CD (Audio) [Hardcover]

Mervyn McLean (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

Based on thorough research and meticulous scholarship, it covers in its first part regional music and dance, exploring in detail the musical traditions of twenty specific areas, including the Society Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, Uvea and Futuna, the Marquesas Islands, Easter Island, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

In the second part McLean describes the musical instruments and the uses, performance, composition, teaching and structure of music across the entire region. He studies the impact of European music on traditional music and includes a chapter on modern music and dance. He finally examines the cultural connections and the diffusion of styles throughout the Polynesian Pacific.

Weavers of Song is lavishly illustrated with 165 photographs and over 80 musical examples. It is accompanied by a CD sampler containing songs, dance-songs and instrumental music from areas studied in the book

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A major contribution to studies of Polynesian music." -- The Contemporary Pacific --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Mervyn McLean is an ethnomusicologist and an international authority of Polynesian music. Formerly Associate Professor and Head of the Archive of Maori and Pacific Music at the University of Auckland, he has published widely on Maori and Pacific music. He is also co-author, with Margaret Orbell, of Traditional Songs of the Maori and, with Raymond Firth, of Tikopia Songs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824822714
• ISBN-13: 978-0824822712
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,778,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Musical traditions of twenty specific south sea areas, February 8, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weavers of Song: Polynesian Music and Dance (Hardcover)

Weavers Of Song: Polynesian Music & Dance is an informative and engaging exploration of the musical traditions of twenty specific south sea areas including the Society Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Niue, Uvea and Futuna, the Marquesas Islands, Easter Island, Hawaii, and New Zealand. Weavers Of Song describes the musical instruments and their uses, performance, teaching and structure of music across the entire region. Merveyn McLean is an ethnomusicologist who draws upon his many years as an authority on Polynesian music to present a meticulously researched and superbly presented text that is enhanced with 165 photographs, 80 musical examples, and an accompanying CD sampler of songs, dance-songs, and instrumental music from the areas featured in this outstanding contribution to music history in general, and the musical cultures and legacies of the Polynesian south seas in particular.