Howard Morrison Special - Hamilton

Sir Howard Leslie Morrison (1932-2009) is one of the most versatile Maori entertainers that I have met.

Maori people are very passionate people, to be sure. And Sir Howard sang with so much passion, and had such a great sense of humour, another trait of the Maori people who, I find, share some attributes of Chinese culture such as their folklore that contained probably an older version of the Chinese Pa Kua or Eight Trigrams, and their erstwhile tribalism.

Sir Howard's untimely demise in 2009, just after his 74th Birthday Special on television, caught me flat-footed as I was in my hometown of Penang, Malaysia, running my small boutique legal practice after graduating from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch way back in 1998.

Had I been in New Zealand, I would have made a special trip to Rotorua in Hamilton, North Island, to pay humble, sincere and personal tribute to this kind, gentle and humble Maori role model.

It is a wonder why, throughout my stay in New Zealand from 1989 till 1999, TVNZ never even thought of doing a replay of the 1982 show. It would have been a wonderful offering. Maybe, TVNZ can do this to mark the 3rd year of Sir Howard's demise.

My deepest sympathies to your wife and your two sons and one daughter, their spouses and their children. May the Lord continue to shower His blessings upon them.

Sir Howard, may the Lord grant you eternal rest until we meet on that beautiful shore.

Stephen (or Tipene) Tan Ban Cheng, BA=LL.B (Canterbury), CLE, NZ
Advocate & Solicitor
High Court of Malaya
10-D (1st Floor) Jalan Dato Koyah
10050 Penang,
Malaysia.
Email addresses: bctan1950@yahoo.com and bctan1950@gmail.com