Hi, listers,
There are not many famous Cardens nowadays, but one I can name is Joan
Carden, the Australian oper singer. She and I are good friends and have met
many times, and those who came to the Carden Gathering in 1998 will remember
her singing to us. Few did not have a tear in their eye at the beauty of
it.
So perhaps this extract from a long email I received from her her yesterday
will be of interest. If you would like a picture of the event, try
www.cathnews.com/news/404/93.php
If any of you would like to send your congratulations, especially those who
met her in 1998, her ID is notable(a)iprimus.com.au - please send me a copy.
Arthur Carden, of Horsham, England.
I'm enclosing a copy of the citation which was read out on Thursday at the
graduation ceremony for Australian Catholic University when I received their
highest honour, a doctorate of the university, witness the addition to the
postnominals below. I can't remember if I sent you a copy of the Occasional
Address I was honoured to give. It received thunderous applause from the 220
graduates who had received their testaments over 2 hours of presentation
that preceded my Address. After this we had lunch, and again I was seated
next to Cardinal Clancy, looking marvellous in his black cassock with red
binding, and his red biretta. Sadly no family members could attend to
witness and share with me this thrilling occasion, when I was almost
overwhelmed with emotion. Heard myself give a little gasp as the citation
was read out, and I tried to pretend it was a cough! Girded the loins and
managed to receive the framed certificate, laminated 4-large page citation.
Then I gave the Address and was relieved it all was received so well.
Here is the material referred to above. With fondest wishes and love from
Joan.
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Read by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International), Professor John
Coll, PhD, Dsc, FRACI, on the occasion of the conferring by the Vice
Chancellor, Professor Peter Sheehan AO, BA, PhC, FAPS (Hon.), FAPSA, Fassa
(Hon),FACE, of the degree of Doctor of the University, Honoris Causa, at
Sydney Town Hall, on 15th April, 2004
JOAN MARALYN CARDEN
Joan Maralyn Carden is one of Australia's greatest sopranos, a diva of
extraordinary stature. She has been at the pinnacle of her profession for
more than three decades, and has been one of Australia's great leaders and
pioneers of the arts, particularly opera.
Joan Maralyn Carden was born in Melbourne on Verdi's birthdate, 9th October.
She was educated at Prahran Technical School before attending Trinity
College of Music in London and the London Opera Centre. It was in London
that she came under the tutelage of Vida Harford, whose students read as a
who's who of modern opera.
Joan Carden's successful singing career spans several continents. She made
her debut with what is now Opera Australia as Liu in "Turandot" in 1971 and
Marguerite in "Faust", following appearances in opera and concert in Germany
and Great Britain. Her relationship with Opera Australia came to an end over
30 years later with her final performance in a major role in the 2002/2003
season of "Tosca".
In that final performance of "Tosca", one reviewer described Joan Carden's
performance in the following terms:
"a huge range of colour, expression and dynamic(s) surefire control of
pitch..and a vast resource of experience to draw on in micromanaging each
eloquent moment..The control is..immaculate, the musico/dramatic judgement
sound, and the artistic instincts vivid and active."
Joan Carden's professional repertoire has included every major opera one
could call to mind, as well as the role of Mother Abbess in the "Sound of
Music". She has sung at Covent Garden, and at the Kennedy Center in
Washington, as well as with Scottish Opera, the Metropolitan Opera of New
York, and I Solisti Veneti of Italy (to name just a few) and recorded
British operas for the BBC. Her performance role debut with The Australian
Opera in 1978 as Madama Butterfly was one of the great triumphs of her
career, during which she would be regarded as one of the great interpreters
of the Puccini heroine. Her performance of Violetta in Verdi's "La
Traviata"
continues to stand as one of the most moving interpretations of this role.
(She sang in the opening season of the Sydney Opera House in 1973, when the
Queen and Duke of Edinburgh met the cast of Mozart's "The Magic Flute".)
Miss Carden performed in "Australia's Bicentenary Celebration of a Nation"
with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She sang at the state occasion to mark
the consecrating of the new precinct at St. Mary's Cathedral and the
lighting of the new spires, and she performed for President George Bush at
Parliament House Canberra. In 1993 Miss Carden sang at Covent Garden with
Jose Carreras under the baton of Sir Charles Mackerras for the Australian
Music Foundation and the tenor's own Leukaemia Research Foundation. She has
made multiple sound and video recordings.
Joan Carden has received a panoply of awards and decorations. In 1981 she
was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services
to opera. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988, also
for service to opera, and in 2004 was awarded the Centenary Medal for
service to Australian society and opera. In 1967 she won was a prizewinner
in the Munich International Music Competition. She was awarded the Dame Joan
Hammond Award for Operatic Excellence in 1987 and received an Australian
Artists Creative Fellowship in 1992. She is (was) Patron of the now defunct
National Voice Centre at the University of Sydney and of the Victorian
College of the Arts Opera.
Joan Carden became a Roman Catholic in 1988.
Miss Joan Carden, A.O., O.B.E., D.Univ (SUT), D.Univ (ACU)