Wagner Society of New Zealand Patron: Sir Donald McIntyre NEWSLETTER Vol. 13 No. 4 April 2017 President’s Report for 2016 AGM - 21 May 2017 Formal Notice The Wagner Society of New Zealand AGM is to be held on Sunday 21 May 2017 in St Heliers Community Centre, 100 St Heliers Bay Road, Auckland at 7.00pm. So far, Committee and Office-Bearer nominations have been received as follows: President ................. Chris Brodrick Vice President ............ Ken Tomkins Secretary ....................... Peter Rowe Treasurer ................. Jeanette Miller PR/Liaison ..................Gloria Streat Bob O’Hara Committee . John Davidson, Lesley Kendall, Juliet Rowe Bob O’Hara as Uberto (La Serva Padrona.) Michael Sinclair If you wish to make a nomination: In this, the 22nd President’s report to opera trips including both Adelaide Phone: Peter at 09-520 4690 or the Wagner Society of New Zealand, I Rings, the 2013 Melbourne Ring and he Email: [email protected]. would like, among all the thank yous, to has plans to attend the San Francisco to be sent a form. Nominations can focus some attention on two members. Ring next year. also be made from the floor at the One has been with us from 1995 and Bob and other WSNZ members’ ability meeting. after many years of service has recently to attend these overseas productions stepped down from the committee. The is enabled by the wonderful work of Membership renewals other, who may not have been with us Michael Sinclair, as the organising force Included with this newsletter is a from the start, has nonetheless made a behind our overseas trips. These tours 2017-18 membership renewal form. huge contribution. require significant advanced planning, Needless to say we sincerely hope you Bob O’Hara has been a stalwart of the which makes Michael’s knowledge of will be continuing your membership Society in Auckland where, with his love future productions invaluable and, of the Society because, without of Wagner, he not only provided plenty of coupled with his willingness to manage members we don’t have a Society. enthusiasm but also ensured that high- these trips on behalf of the Society, Remember also, we continually quality wines were served at the Auckland is greatly appreciated by us all. In need new members as sadly none of events, in his famous XL5 wine glasses addition, Michael oversees our website, us is getting any younger. If you know (the standard for international tasting). contributes to the newsletter, was of anyone who would be interested in Bob was born in Nelson in 1934 and the Society secretary for a number of joining us please do encourage them. was always very musical. He learnt years, and one of the Auckland meeting We do, after all, offer wide-ranging the cornet before, at the age of fifteen, organisers. As the Society enters its mid programmes in all four of the main studying singing as a bass-baritone, with twenties it is right that we acknowledge centres of New Zealand. Programmes George Wilson. After his musical training those who are willing to undertake the that, in their sheer diversity, must be Bob managed a successful part-time hard work. Therefore on behalf of all the the envy of many other societies. singing career alongside his full-time membership, I’d like to thank both Bob As you complete your application job in the Police force. In 1957, in his and Michael for everything that they please also consider a donation to mid-twenties, Bob sang in a production have given to the WSNZ and, in the charitable arm of the Society, the of Il Trovatore alongside Anita Ritchie (Cont. page 2) Wagner Foundation. who, with her husband John, as Heath Lees wrote, “personally sowed the seeds Kurt Moll Kurt Moll’s forty-five year career of the Wagner Society of New Zealand dies took him to the most important opera way back in the 1970s.” In 1965 Bob sang aged 79 houses and concert stages in the world Curley in the Rodgers and Hammerstein where he sang a wide range of roles musical Oklahoma and Uberto in 1990 in that included Hermann in Tannhäuser, Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona. King Marke in Tristan and his As a member of the WSNZ Bob has signature Wagnerian role, Gurnemanz participated in a number of the Society’s in Parsifal. 11 Dunkerron Avenue, Epsom, Auckland 1051 • Ph: (09) 520 4690 • Web site: www.wagnersociety.org.nz recognition of that service, to honour them both with Life memberships. Review: During the year the Society rejoined Visions of Valhalla – the International Association of Wagner A Poetic Tribute to Richard Wagner Societies (Verband) and, as a result, we John Davidson has written an received an unexpected quantity of tickets idiosyncratic tribute to Richard to the 2017 Bayreuth Festival. After an Wagner and I am impressed by his initial concern that we would struggle to ability to express knowledge and fill the allocation, the tickets were taken admiration stylishly via poetic skill, wit up very quickly and we will have nine and personality encased in a quality members present at this year’s Festival, publication. The illustrations and our biggest presence for some years. cover design are excellent. As the newsletter is the principal Here is an ‘alternative way’ of means by which we can keep in touch, spending time with the master. I’d like to thank all those who made Contemplations and narratives contributions. Even though we only are offered that involve Wagnerian publish four editions a year the task is characters, facts, themes and music made considerably easier by having alongside the poet’s own quirky vision reliable contributors. of the world. The task of keeping the Society To quote John himself from the functioning on a day to day basis Visions of Valhalla illustration: introduction, ‘the poems are a mix of has been masterfully handled by The Dutchman rising heavenwards the serious and not-so-serious’. They’re our Secretary, Peter Rowe, and our all linked in some way to Richard Treasurer, Jeanette Miller. Our thanks WSNZ Waikato? Wagner and for Wagner enthusiasts it to both for their hard work. We also Hamilton member, Leonardo Milani, is fun working out how and marvelling need to thank Peter for the use of the has recently convened a meeting of at the influence the man and his music telephone conference call facilities Waikato Wagnerians with the aim of has had in the world. of Minter Ellison that enable the setting up a fifth branch of the Society. For example in What value an opera? National Committee to carry out the We will report the outcome of that (p 70) he talks about German stamps Society business. The members of that meeting in our next issue but in the that featured Wagnerian subjects Committee are: Ken Tomkins, Vice meantime if you know of anyone in and whose issue coincided with the President; Jeanette Miller, Treasurer; the Waikato who could be interested in 3rd Reich. Playfully he considers Juliet Rowe, Minute Secretary; Peter being part of this group please contact the increasing monetary values of 9 Rowe, Secretary; along with John Leonardo at: leonardo.milani@vuw. stamps over that period, beginning Davidson, Gloria Streat, Lesley Kendall ac.nz with The Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin, and Bob O’Hara (to the middle of the Anthony Negus awarded Siegfried and so on - up to Parsifal. year). All of them deserve our utmost The Sir Reginald Goodall Memorial However he points to ‘one significant gratitude as without their commitment, Award for outstanding services to canonical omission’ Götterdämmerung the Society would not survive. Wagner’s music was presented by the and links its value to May 1945 ‘when John Hambling continues as our Wagner Society (London) to Anthony even the bunker was crumbling’. honorary Auditor and, once again, our Negus who conducted the NZSO in I was drawn to Cosima because grateful thanks go to him for keeping an Parsifal in 2006. she is of particular interest to eye on the books. me and because there is a photo The National Committee is supported accompanying the poem – a splendid by smaller groups in each centre who sculpted head of her by Arno Breker. not only organise meetings but also Like the other poems Cosima delivers ensure they run smoothly. In Auckland a number of well-crafted facts before we were lucky to have Ken Tomkins, modulating to a darker tone – to Juliet Rowe, Jeanette Miller, Bob ponder another possible reality which O’Hara, David Colemore-Williams and in turn gives way to a final touch of Helen Kirkman. John Davidson led wit, a cruel but true part of her legacy. the Wellington team with Tibby and ‘And she had the nose to sniff out Adrian Simcock, Anne Mallinson, and competition.’ Michael Ashdown. In Christchurch the Anthony Negus (second left) with Wagner For those who have been able to meetings were run by Gloria Streat, Society members: Richard Miles, (l) Jan ignore or dislike Wagner, or haven’t John Pattinson, Elizabeth Cooch and Leigh and Paul Dawson-Bowling author of had the inclination to get to know Jenny Lee, while Terence Dennis, Lesley the 2-volume The Wagner Experience (r). him, I think that the poems might Kendall and Louise Kilby looked after be frustrating and less appealing. Dunedin. It should also be noted that Wagner to Elgar However, the notes at the back are both the Christchurch and Auckland Wellington member Deryk McNamara useful in this respect. branches were forced to change venues noted that during the first cricket I am not a regular reader of in the last year bringing extra work for test in Dunedin earlier in the year, it poetry and often approach it with their sub-committees.