News
The Dame Malvina Major Foundation Golf Tournament at Terrace Downs High Country Resort, Rakaia Gorge
7 March 2008
Dame Malvina again participated in the 2007 charity golf tournament, a very successful event for the past five years running organized by the Christchurch Regional Committee. The competition was an Ambrose. The Committee thanks all sponsors, corporate teams and individuals who took part.
The 2008 DMMF Golf Tournament on Friday 7 March 2008 will include the following:
Team Sponsors:
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (Christchurch)
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (Dunedin)
- The National Bank of New Zealand (Private Banking)
- ANZ Private Bank
- The Design Team
- Walker Davey Ltd (Charted Accountants)
- The Anthony Wilding Retirement Village
- DHL Global Forwarding Ltd
- BMW Christchurch
- CB Richard Ellis Ltd
Sponsors:
- Terrace Downs High Country Resort
- Pernod Ricard New Zealand
- Astrolob Wines, Blenheim
- National Bank of New Zealand, Private Banking
- Archibalds on Manchester
- AMI StadiumLion Breweries
- Munns Tower Junction Mega Store
- Frucor Beverages Limited
- Cashmere Cuisine Ltd. Christchurch
- The Press
- Piano CityBarkers Fruit Processors Ltd., Geraldine
- The Pantry on Mandeville Street
- Acquisitions
- Homestore, Merivale Mall
- Aoraki Balloon Safaris
- Meat @ Millers
- Sweet Kitchen
Artists Showcase:
- James Armitage {counter-tenor}
- Christopher Bruerton {baritone}
- Ben Cauckwell {baritone)
- Thomas Eves {trumpet}
- Andrew Grenon {tenor}
- Polly Ott {soprano}
- Rachelle Pike {mezzo-soprano}
- Accompanist: Iola Shelley
The next Dame Malvina Major Foundation Golf Tournament at Terrace Downs is planned for Friday 6 March 2009.
For further information contact:
New Zealand Opera Singers in the South of France
September 2007
A grant was given to assist Patricia Hurley's French for New Zealand Opera Singers School in the South of France. It was a unique opportunity for young New Zealand opera performers.
The week long course with intensive French language lessons, vocal coaching with prominent French mezzo-soprano, Marie-Ange Todorovitch and a Concert performance in the 18th century Salon Racine in Uzes was a great success. Patricia Hurley, with her experience of her successful Italian for Opera Singers Schools in Tuscany, Italy, was very aware of the need for New Zealand opera singers to learn French, and she set up and managed this intensive course.
Particpants were Anna Leese, soprano, Kristen Darragh, mezzo-soprano, Robert Tucker, baritone and Kirsten Simpson, pianist, all based in London and either still studying in advanced music institutions or starting professional careers. All were chosen for their excellence and all attested to the value and importance of the experience of learning the language and performing in the country of origin.
"As an accompanist this course was great for me as it is my job to colour certain words differently to others and to understand what the singer is singing about. To understand the meaning of the text helps me to create a certain mood and sound for the singer. Learning French has also helped me to see the shape and ebb and flow of a phrase." (Kirsten Simpson).
The final Concert presented by the Mayor was attended by over 300 people including the New Zealand Ambassador from Paris. It was an outstanding success and a unique occasion to present some of New Zealand's very talented young artists in a programme of French opera.
Patricia Hurley's French for Opera Singers School, South of France
Artists on stage, Salon Racine, Kirsten Simpson, Robert Tucker,
Marie-Ange Todorovitch, Kristen Darragh, Anna Leese
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The Dame Malvina Major Foundation to award singing scholarship in memory of Mina Foley
March 2007
The Dame Malvina Major Foundation plans to institute a scholarship for talented young singers in memory of one of New Zealand's most promising vocal talents of yesteryear, the soprano Mina Foley. Mina Foley, who captivated New Zealand audiences with the quality and technique of her singing in the 1950s, died recently after a long illness.
She was the first of the galaxy of singing stars trained by the acclaimed Auckland singing teacher, Dame Sister Mary Leo. Among her pupils to follow at a later date who achieved international success were Malvina Major herself, Kiri Te Kanawa and Heather Begg.
Tragically, a lifetime of ill-health brought Mina Foley's singing career to an end before her full potential was realised. Prominence as a singer began in August 1950 when, at age 20, she won the major vocal prizes in the Auckland Competitions, including the John Court Memorial Aria Scholarship. This led to an audition with the Italian Tenor, Tito Schipa, who described her voice as the most promising he had heard in more than forty auditions in Australasia, saying that she must go to Europe to continue her training at the earliest opportunity.
She went on to Melbourne in October 1950 to compete in the prestigious Melbourne Sun Aria competition. Gaining second place, she was just three points behind the winner, yet was described by the music critic of the Melbourne Herald as 'the outstanding singer of the night'.
"I can honestly say that I have never heard a finer technique,' said the judge, comparing her singing to opera he had heard in Berlin, Budapest and Rome. Others called it "the voice of the century".
Dame Malvina Major said that her Foundation was formed with the objective of helping aspiring and promising young musicians to further their studies. "I was a child when Mina Foley first came to prominence," she said. "I remember how enthralling I found her voice and her charming and gracious stage presence. It was one of the factors that inspired me to pursue my own singing career, and to begin my studies with Dame Sister Mary Leo."
She continued that the scholarship will be a tribute both to Mina Foley and to Dame Sister Mary Leo, and will provide an opportunity for other young singers to further their studies.
Details of the scholarship will be announced later in the year with the expectation that the first scholarship will be awarded in the near future.
Young cellist, Rod Skipp, receives grant
March 2007 
The Dame Malvina Major Foundation gave a grant of $5000 to Palmerston North born Rod Skipp to enable him to continue his cello study towards a Masters degree at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.
After graduating with first class honours from The University of Auckland, Rod moved to the United Kingdom to further his studies and in 2005 was Principal cellist with the Britten-Pears Orchestra, based at the Snape Maltings concert hall. He has also appeared with many other orchestras around the UK and toured Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and the Seychelles. | 
