Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East
A Night To Remember
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, New Zealand's world renowned soprano, recently visited Israel. Returning after 10 years, she delighted an enthusiastic capacity audience in Jerusalem with her operatic selections. Having been urged by New Zealand protest groups to boycott the Jewish State, she received an overwhelming ovation when she declared her pleasure at being in Israel, where culture knows no barriers. This event, unsurprisingly, did not appear in any NZ newspaper and it is therefore posted here so that you can read what the media are not interested in publishing.
By Michael Kuttner
Residents of Jerusalem, Israel's Capital are enjoying a feast of cultural events at the moment. As part of the Israel Festival 2011 a series of concerts, plays, exhibitions and a host of other activities is taking place almost every day of the week during the summer. One of the undoubted highlights was the return of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa who last visited Israel ten years ago. She left such a lasting impression that when it was announced that she would be paying a belated return visit this month, excitement mounted in anticipation of another feast of operatic classics.
Dame Kiri was scheduled to give only one performance. The largest auditorium in the Capital was the venue and her fans flocked there from not only Jerusalem but also other cities and towns. It was not hard to see how much she is respected in Israel when one viewed the cross section of the population who flocked to hear her perform. As we walked into the lobby we saw pensioners and young people, ethic groups of all description, eagerly anticipating an evening of delight.
We were not disappointed. The full auditorium (which included some New Zealanders) gave Dame Kiri a rapturous welcome. She looked stunning and the moment she started singing, the audience knew that the ten year wait for her return had been well worthwhile. Obviously heartened by her warm reception, Dame Kiri wowed the packed hall by declaring that she was thrilled and delighted to be back in Israel again.
An added bonus to the evening was the appearance of Phillip Rhodes, an up and coming baritone who under the tutelage and encouragement of Dame Kiri, is poised to become a major star in the years ahead. She made a point in her introduction to mention that Phillip was like her, a Maori from New Zealand, a statement which elicited thunderous applause. At the end of an evening filled with extracts from various operas, the two guests were persuaded to give many encores. The public would not let them go and in fact asked for a Maori song to round off the evening. Phillip obliged by performing a modified version of the Haka which brought the house down and the icing on the cake was a beautiful rendition of Po Kare Kare Ana by Dame Kiri. Thus ended an enchanted evening where Israelis showed their admiration for a legendary Dame. We all hope that to see her back again soon and also look forward to enjoying the young baritone, Phillip Rhodes as he continues to make a name for himself in the world of opera.
In the midst of a region beset by turmoil it is comforting to know that an oasis of cultural creativity and calm exists here in Israel, where all citizens can enjoy the beauty of music in all its myriad forms.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who was for many years actively involved with several Jewish Communal organisations. He now lives with his family in Israel