Details

Latitude

-4.15386

Longitude

152.162

Start Date

1993-09-01

End Date

1993-09-01

Tape# 1: Musical Background, Experiences and Journey of Regina Tade Side A&B: Regina Tade was born in 1931 at Nodup Village and left her parents in 1937 at the time of the Matupit volcano eruptions with the Catholic church chinese and mixed race sisters of Nodup in a ship to the MSC OLSH Mission at Vunapope. When the second world war came with Japanese occupation in 1942, the Catholic mission were effectively were under the control of the Japanese who took on the people of the seminary, convent and mission workers and domestic servants and foster children as their labourers. The Mission tenants worked to serve the Japanese stationed in Vunapope and Kokopo with general domestic living both for the army authorities, soldiers and their own mission tenants during the wartime doing gardening, cooking, laundary and general labouring work. During the time, the seminary and convent of MSC and OLSH priests, fathers, brothers and sisters used time to engage with each other with music and arts in singing in choirs, concert drama and plays. They also observed that the Japanese also had their own style of music performed in traditional songs and dances. The Church tenants at Vunapope were then relocated to Ramale North Coast Prisoner of War camps in dung out holes amongst other prisoners of Rabaul, Kokopo and other parts of Gazelle Peninsula who were mainly the expatriates, chinese and mixed race communities. Regina observed that there were also some Japanese catholic christians who would indirectly help them along through advice of what the authorities were instructing to do with prisoners and support prayers. After the war in 1945, they returned to Vunapope where Regina started OLSH mission school in primary to high school. Regina also started her teacher training and some choir singing under the sisters. Towards late 1940s' she was posted to Siassi Island and Cape Glouster in West New Britain and Tangga Island in New Ireland as a primary school teacher. She was not involved with choir music but learnt to perform as part of local culture their traditional song and dance in "singsings na samsam" in these communities. In 1950, Regina returned to Vunapope for further teacher training and music training in choir singing, conducting, concerts and related drama and plays. This was under the mentorship and musicianship of Fr Reishel. She became the first qualified and graduate female teacher in East New Britain with ceremony conducted at St Marys High School, Vuvu. She also became skilled choir conductor at the time when the choir competitions started such as in King George Festivals and Queens Birthday choral festivals. At these choral festivals, the choirs were interdenominational in Catholic, Methodist and Seventh Day Adventist churches. Her OLSH high school choirs won the ladies section first prize for three years in a row (1950-1953). She also was involved in concerts as a conductor and drama plays under Fr Reishel such as "Aingel visitim Maria" where she played the Angel and another mixed race sister played Maria. At these choral competitions, she met and shook hands with overseas dignitaries who can to witness or partook as judges such as Mrs Trapp and Queen Mother at Queen Elizabeth Park, Rabaul. In late 1950s', she was posted to Nodup where she met her good friend and fellow conductor IaMatalau who was a primary school teacher trained in Government school at Waterhouse Memorial School, Nodup so they taught together. IaMatalau was from Methodist Church but they both shared their knowledge and experiences as female conductors. IaMatalau's choirs also won primary school section children choirs in the competitions. Regina then returned to OLSH Vunapope continued with teaching then from 1960s' to the 1990s' was posted as a teacher and lay missionary to mission and church schools at Volavolo, Nodup and Watom. Regina was privileged to have met the Pope John Paul II during his visit to PNG in Port Moresby. She shook his hand and received holy communion and blessings lay missionary from the Pope in her work with the Catholic church. She accompanied Bishop Albert of Rabaul Diocese in the trip. At the time of the interview, Regina was at Volavolo and she continued conducting and winning competitions. She described how she taught choir members how to sing with expressions, mouth movements and breathing and feelings. Her children's choir were boys and girls of Grades 3 and 4 at Volavolo Community (Primary) School singing Kuanua and English songs of worship and praise of the Catholic Church and a demonstration of singing by her choir was "We are companions of the journey". (Steven Gagau, January 2020)

Sources