After 50 years living in England there is one thing Dame Kiri Te Kanawa cannot give up — a winter Christmas.
Having moved back to New Zealand during Covid-19 to settle at her home in the Bay of Islands she is loving being close to her Auckland-based grandson and family but admits to being homesick for her old home and friends in England.
"There is still an awful lot of me over there. There is a lot of longing and sadness," Dame Kiri said.
So when the ODT talked to her last week she had the Christmas tree up, the lights twinkling and was about to start preparing a Christmas feast for 11 people.
"There will be turkey, duck and Christmas pudding. I want a cold Christmas — I just couldn’t do a hot Christmas."
While Dame Kiri has been tackling a lot of changes in recent times, her dedication to young singers has not waned. So much so, the judge of international competitions around the world, such as the Cardiff Singers of the World, has agreed to come to Dunedin to judge the ODT Southern Aria finals this weekend.
"I’m looking forward to it very much. These young singers are fairly new, will be taking their very first steps."
It is an extension of the work she does for her Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, which offers mentoring, financial support and career assistance to young New Zealand singers with exceptional potential, as a way of underwriting their efforts to win international success.
She set up the foundation in 2004 to ensure young singers did not have the same experience she had when she left New Zealand for London.
"When I went over, there was nothing — no back-up whatsoever. Luckily, I fell into the hands of very good people."
But she knows it could have been different and has been for some singers. So those her foundation supports are well informed before they leave and there is support there for them when they arrive.
"It’s worlds apart from what I went through. I tell them ‘don’t make the mistakes I made’. Some of them don’t listen. I say ‘that’s fine if you don’t want to do it then you’ll see the back of me of fast as possible’. It’s a tough world."
Since its inception, the foundation has made more than 160 grants of various sizes to 30 New Zealand singers, including former Dunedin soprano Ana James, Kristen Daragh, Claire Egan, Phillip Rhodes, Joanna Foote, Kawiti Waitford, Jonathan Abernethy, Darren Pene Pati, Alexander Wilson, Kieran Rayner, Julien van Mellaerts, Thomas Atkins, Oliver Sewell, Edward Laurenson, Kathryn McIndoe, Eliza Boom, Madison Nonoa, Samson Setu, Harry Grigg, Manase Latu and Natasha Wilson.
Young singers today are strong, focused and determined to make it, Dame Kiri says.
"They learn far more than I did — they’re pages ahead of what I did as I had so little to go on. Sister Leo and all my teachers could only do as much as they could."
When a pandemic is added into the mix it is hugely challenging but Dame Kiri is amazed at how exceptionally well New Zealand singers have coped with the situation.
"For what they have gone through the past few years I’m really astounded at how amazing they are. They’re second to none."
The financial impact of Covid has been devastating for many as their ability to earn disappeared nearly overnight. It meant many young singers had to do what they could to survive. One taught English online to keep his head above water. Another did recordings for other singers.
"They did amazing things to stay alive until this awful situation was over."
Dame Kiri’s foundation did what it could to help 18 of its singers experiencing extreme financial circumstances. The foundation established a joint committee which recommended a series of "Helping Hand" grants that were paid monthly for the remainder of the year — totalling $177,000.
"It wasn’t a great amount but it helped make a difference. I’m so proud of them all."
Also on the foundation is University of Otago professor Terence Dennis, her favourite pianist and good friend, who has often travelled to England to perform alongside her.
"He gives his very expertise opinion, which is so special."
In normal circumstances it can be tough on a singer mentally and even more so now. So the foundation also helps singers with their mental wellbeing.
She admits singers, even herself, are often their harshest critics but one psychologist pointed to the need for singers to concentrate on the positives not the negatives to gain strength from it.
"It’s not normally what we always do. But he was right — you need that."
Another thing that has not changed over the years is the financial struggle for young singers trying to make it overseas.
"It’s always been expensive but it’s getting worse. A year can cost £30,000 — that’s $NZ60,000."
So grants and winning competitions help towards that. The foundation does what it can thanks to donations from people and organisations that love music and want to give young people a chance to achieve their dreams, she says.
It can be a long time before a young singer reaches the level where their expenses are covered. So they have to fund their own travel, accommodation and flights.
"It’s [a] tough old road."
Dame Kiri is still mentoring students and doing what she can for them from her Bay of Islands home, which she has owned for many years. There are weekly mentoring sessions online to those who are in England and Germany as well as in-person sessions for four or five singers here in New Zealand such as Lexus Song Quest winner Filipe Manu.
"I always tell them at the end of the session that there is light at the end of tunnel. ‘Stay focused and do not give up — it will pass’."
Thankfully, that is happening with four singers booked to perform at Covent Garden.
"They’ve got contracts and are employed. I don’t care what they do — they can sing whatever they like. It’s just so important to sing."
Her advice to young singers?
"If they want to sing, we will help. It takes a lot of effort and strength but we are there for them."
Dame Kiri also makes plenty of time for her grandson, her four dogs, which she brought out from England, and helping bring the overgrown garden into control.
"It’s a jungle," she says.
"It’s taken a year to clean up. It was such a mess — it was very sad. It’s still ongoing but we’ll get it back to what we’d like to look at."
Some of Dame Kiri’s many standout moments
- 2018 Became a Member of the Order of the Companions after being honoured at Buckingham Palace for her services to music.
- 2013 Appeared in Downtown Abbey playing Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba.
- Her recording of the "Nuns’ Chorus" from the Strauss operetta Casanova was the New Zealand’s first gold record.
- She performed Handel’s Let the Bright Seraphim at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
- She performed at the opening of the Commonwealth Games in 2006, singing Happy Birthday to Her Majesty the Queen.
- In 1991, she premiered the theme song World in Union at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, which reached No 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
TO SEE:
ODT Southern Aria finals, Glenroy Auditorium, Saturday 7pm. Preliminary sessions Friday, 3.45pm and 6pm, Burns Hall.
