Dame Kiri back where it all began

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa could well have been reflecting on her career as she posed for a photograph in the Dunedin Town Hall yesterday.

It was in Dunedin that it all started for her, nearly half a century ago.

In 1965, a 21-year-old Te Kanawa won the Mobil Song Quest, which launched her international singing career.

• Dame Kiri recalls Dunedin break 

She has performed only rarely at the town hall since.

Tonight, at the age of 66, New Zealand's most beloved diva presents her first solo recital in Dunedin.

She strode into an empty town hall during a rehearsal break yesterday with three male minders in tow. Dressed in blue jeans, a woollen jersey and cardigan ensemble, she exuded an air of cool detachment.

"I've been coming to the Dunedin Town Hall for over 40 years - it's one of the great town halls and it remains as impressive as I remember," Dame Kiri told the Otago Daily Times.

"I'm glad to be back in Dunedin. The city's looking great in spring. Just see the flowers in front of the railway station - gorgeous.

"I'm looking forward to my first recital in Dunedin and the only time I'll be singing on this trip. My programme will be exactly the same as I would sing in London, Paris or New York, because Dunedin deserves the best."

Twenty seconds and 10 frames later, it was over.

She politely thanked the photographer and strode back across the stage, down the steps and out the door, her minders like seagulls in her wake.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performs in recital at 8pm in the Dunedin Town Hall, accompanied by Terence Dennis.