Noel Mangin To Make N.Y. Debut

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31108, 11 July 1966, Page 17

Noel Mangin To Make N.Y. Debut

(From the London correspondent of “The Press") LONDON, July 10. The Wellington-born bass singer, Noel Mangin, will make his New York debut this October at the Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts. He will star as Sarastro in “The Magic Flute” for the New York City Centre Opera. The rest of the cast will be American. Mr Mangin will be the first New Zealander to sing with the company since Oscar Natzka in 1951, who died on stage at the old Centre Theatre singing in “Die Meistersingers.” Mangin sings in three productions of the opera on October 13, 18 and 30, every performance is already sold out at prices of 22 dollars a seat. Link with Tower Mr Mangin is one of the soloists in the production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Yoemen of the Guard” in a special performance opening next week at the Tower of London for the City of London Arts

Festival. He will take the role of chief gaoler only a few yards from where his ancestor was executed at the Tower of London 220 years ago.

His ancestor was the twelfth Baron Lavat, a Scot who in 1747 was the last man to be executed on Tower Hill.

Mr Mangin exlained that his great-great-grandmother. Janet Fraser born in Scotland in 1824 was the daughter of Lord Lovat a direct descendent, and married Thomas Durreen in 1839 at the age of 15. They came to New Zealand in 1839 in the Bengal Merchant the third sailing ship which arrived with white settlers and the first child, William Durreen, was born in 1840, the third white child to be born in the Auckland province. William was Noel Mangin’s great-grandfather. William’s brother, Thomas Durreen, was an early mayor of Petone.

“We have the family tree all worked out on a family scroll,” Mr Mangin said.

When he arrived at the tower for rehearsals officials said “there is no need to ask who you are.” The resemblance to a painting of Lovat at the Tower was striking. A brief story of the singer’s relationship had been seen by them in a British newspaper. “It is amazing to be recognised as a descendent 220 years after the old boy had his head chopped off,” Mr Mangin said. Next month Mr Mangin will go to Bayreuth for coaching by Weiland Wagner, descendent of the composer and director of the Bayreuth Festival.

Later this year, as resident singer at the Sadlers’ Wells Opera Company, he will take the roles of Don Basilio in “The Barber of Seville,” Charon in “Orfeo,” Rocco in “Fidelio” and Sarastro in the new production of “The Magic Flute” next February.