Dame Malvina Major - From Gumboots to Glory

She's an opera diva and a star! Dame Malvina Major has sung in opera houses around the world and Taranaki people can hear her sing at New Plymouth's Opera House on 8 May. This show will raise money for Sunshine Street, the children's ward at Taranaki's Base Hospital.

Many local people have already heard Dame Malvina sing live. That's because she lived on a Taranaki dairy farm with her family and when she wasn't singing around the world, she sang with Taranaki kids at school music festivals.

Rewind to the New Zealand of the 1940s

Malvina began her singing career in the 1940s. Decide whether these facts are true or false.

1. All school children drink half a pint of milk at playtime. Some drink even more!

2. Many families own a piano and some children, especially girls have piano lessons.

3. Some towns have community sing-alongs in picture theatres as a way to raise funds for the war effort and boost morale.

4. School is cancelled in 1947 for four months.

5. A pianola is treasured in households that could afford them. A roll of paper fits behind the front panel of the piano and the pianist just pedals to get a tune.

Know your opera!

Match an opera term to a meaning.

Terms: opus, overture, aria, surtitle (not subtitle), choral scenes, libretto, synopsis, composer, score, recitative.

Meanings:

1. A short summary of what takes place in the story.

2. The Italian word that opera comes from. It means work of art.

3. A scene in the opera where the main members of the cast and the choir all sing.

4. Contains all the words of an opera.

5. The person who writes the music for the opera.

6. A solo number for a singer.

7. The story telling songs that bring action to the story.

8. The orchestra plays this to begin the opera.

9. The translations of the foreign language words. These are projected above the stage to help the audience follow the story.

10. All the music for the singers and the orchestra.

Look here to check your answers.

Highs and lows

Dame Malvina Major is a soprano and she gets many leading roles in operas. Try sorting the singing voices from highest to lowest. Opera audiences can recognise a singer's voice after just a few notes.

Female voices - Mezzo soprano, Alto, Soprano

Male voices - Baritone, Tenor, Basso Profondo, Base

Click here to check your answers.

Word wise?

All these words are in this week's story. Decide on the best meaning and check your answers as you read the story.

1. spontaneously (a) without rehearsal or (b) all of a sudden

2. admirably (a) prim and proper or (b)wonderfully

3. repertoire(a) tunes or (b) range

4. wisdom (a) experience or (b) knowledge

5. demeanour (a) manner or (b)habits

6. tyrant (a) bully or (b) dictator

7. astute (a) crafty or (b) amazing

8. pinnacle (a) main part or (b) peak

9. dilemma (a) predicament or (b) confusion

10. intensive (a) difficult or (b) concentrated

Tiny dot, big voice

Click here to begin the story and read down to Sister Act I.

What if you were a reviewer for The Waikato Times when Malvina sang in her very first concert? You have decided the tiny singer could one day be a big star. Write one or two sentences for your newspaper that clearly show why.

The Sister Acts

"Nothing happens without a reason." This is what Dame Malvina says in the next part of the story. Read about the three singing teachers Malvina had and list one thing they each did that had a big impact on Malvina's career.  Compare your choices with a classmate who is also reading this story. This will take you through to the part in the story called "Winning ways."

Winning ways

Read this small part of the story and find out about another young singer who would  go on to become an international star. How important would you rate competitions for  a young singers future career?  Useful, important, very important or almost vital. You decide and compare your choice with a classmate.

Different times, different ways

Your parents or perhaps your aunties and uncles might have been around in the 60s. It wasn't that long ago. The next part of the story though shows that things were a lot different for this 21 year old then, than they probably are for people of the same age today. Find two things in "For the love of Winston" section that you wouldn't expect to happen today.

Malvina had to make a decision during this time. Think of a characteristic or attribute that she displayed in making this decision that must have also helped her during her career. Compare your choices with a classmate.

Decisions decisions

"Bound for London" and "The Call of the Coast" show big decisions just kept on coming for Malvina. You'll find she was poised on the edge of "a huge international career." This was in 1969 - about two years before Kiri Te Kanawa became a huge star. Read on to find out what happened.

Big quotes

Malvina and Winston chose a coastal Taranaki farm rather than life in busy old London town. In the opera world, this decision must have been big news. What if the people below had have been interviewed for a news story. What do you think they would have had to say? Jot down a quote for each one and then share your quotes with others.

People: Malvina's Mum, Malvina's singing teacher, Sister Mary Leo, Ruth Packer the renowned teacher at the London Opera Centre, the head of The New Zealand Opera Company and someone from Winston's family down on the Coast.

Troubled times

The best and the worst happened to Malvina in 1990. Read on to find out how her international career took off again. It's in the section, "World stage beckons." "Grief glory and goodbye," tells of the loss of Winston, Malvina's husband.

Virginia the storyteller found out how Malvina worked her way through this sad time. Read on now to the end of "Bravery earns bravadoes." Take special notice of the quotes that Virginia used. The whole story could have been sprinkled with quotes but the writer uses them sparingly. Why are they important to use in this part of the story? Share your ideas with others.

The talent spotters

Opera singers must study voice, diction, foreign languages, acting, costume, and opera history for many years to perfect their art. It's a bonus if an organisation is in place to help them along their way. The Dame Malvina Foundation helps out up-and coming singers. Read "Nurturing the next generation," to find out how.

Think, pair and share. Jot down some reasons why Dame Malvina Major would be such a valuable teacher for a young opera singer. Pair up with a classmate and compare your ideas.

Use your gifts

Finish the story now to find out how Dame Malvina feels about continuing her singing career.

Get together in a group of three or four and see if you can list some other famous New Zealanders who have gone on to help others either during their careers or after. Here are some clues. A golfer, a rugby player, a mountaineer, an Olympic gold medalist, a sailor.

Wetlands warrior

The wetlands would have been an interesting venue for Dame Malvina to sing at. Get together with someone and decide what you as organisers of the opening would want to see on the promotion posters. Sketch up your ideas on a piece of A3 paper. You'll need to decide on a catchy name for the event, an eye catching photograph and essential details any guests and visitors will need.

Fast forward to 2004

The children's ward at Taranaki Base hospital is about to have a $333,000 revamp that should help young patients get better. Children's health manager Sandra Boardman says hospitals can smell strange. "They're a bit of unfriendly environment for children. The more friendly we can make it, the better it will be for them and the quicker they will recover."

The Taranaki Health Foundation is raising funds to make this part of the hospital bright and child friendly. Dame Malvina Major's concert is part of this fundraising effort.

Sunshine Street will have a new area where young patients can be checked and there will be a day ward and isolation rooms. Rooms like these are better for patients who are likely to catch bugs.

Other plans include a children's play area where the nurse's station is now. It will have DVDs, playstations and a few more toys as well as ensuites for patient's rooms. A new tropical fish tank replaces the old one and parents get new chairs that fold into beds so they can have a bit of snooze beside their children.

Get together in a small group and decide what the hospital needs on an admission pamphlet. Parents and kids get these before they spend time in hospital. They give all the essential information and this one should match Sunshine Street. It should be bright and child friendly.