Aotearoa New Zealand has lost a national treasure. The only good news is that Phil's work will live on in our memories, which we can eternally refresh thanks to his compositions and recordings. I published Phil's book 'Faces in the Firelight' and was working with him to bring out a sequel, 'Swags to Riches' — we had two days in April scheduled to meet and work on the book, in conjunction with his guest spot at the Wellington folk club. Phil's writings and compositions, his storytelling and performance of his own works and that of others, were outstanding, second to none. My condolences to the family — haere atu ra e te rangatira.