Dame given new honour

LYN HUMPHREYS lyn.humphreys@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Monday, 31 December 2007

Taranaki folk will be delighted that the farmer-diva we claim as our own has been awarded the country's second-highest honour.


Conferred with a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1991, Dame Malvina Major this year becomes a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her lifelong service to opera.

"It was a lovely surprise," Dame Malvina told the Taranaki Daily News from the family beach home at Whangamata as six grandchildren milled around, impatient to get to the beach.

She is unconcerned that it is not the supreme national accolade - for which there can be only 20 living New Zealand recipients at any one time.

"It's important for me. It's an acknowledgment from New Zealand," she said.

Dame Malvina is well in control of her busy life despite heading towards her 65th birthday on January 28.

"It's amazing to me that at my age I'm still singing overseas and teaching. It's all a bit mad really."

Dame Malvina is a fulltime professor of voice at Canterbury University, is deeply immersed in supporting emerging musical talent through the Dame Malvina Foundation and committed to community work through endless fundraising campaigns.

Examples of just a few of those fundraising efforts in Taranaki alone are assistance with the purchase of diagnostic heart equipment, refurbishing the children's Base Hospital ward and supporting the Taranaki Hospice.

After some time off the stage to have her family, by 1986, she had picked up her career and returned to sing overseas. After the sudden death of her husband, Winston Fleming, of a heart attack at the farm in September 1990 she first moved to New Plymouth and a little over 10 years ago moved to Christchurch where her partner, Brian Law, is the conductor of the city's choir and director of music for Christchurch's Anglican Cathedral.

This year, the highlight for Dame Malvina was singing at the closing of the Rotary Convention at Salt Lake City, USA, with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir before 21,000 people. Donny Osmond had performed at the opening of the convention.

Among the very full agenda for next year is representing the New Zealand Government at Washington and Los Angeles and ambassadorial work in Houston, Boston and New York for the Dame Malvina Foundation.

Dame Malvina returns regularly to Taranaki.