Margaret (Peg) Dewes papers

Description

Archive Summary6 boxes of material (photographs, correspondence, programmes, newspaper clippings, tape and video recordings) relating to: The Cambridge Music School, The Community Arts Service, Lili Kraus, New Zealand Musical figures Douglas Lilburn, Owen Jensen, Layton Ring, Dorothea Turner and Gwyneth Brown. Margaret (Peg) Dewes (nee Barnett) first met Hungarian pianist Lili Kraus, and her family, in 1943, following their release from a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp in Java. Lili and her family were billeted at the Barnett farm in Tirau for several weeks, and thus began a lifelong friendship and shared love of music. The Barnett family played a key role in forming one of the first Community Arts Service (CAS) committees in Tirau in 1946. Peg attended the first and second Cambridge Music School in 1946 and 1947 where Lili held a masterclass. By this stage Lili had become a naturalized New Zealander. Peg and Lili enjoyed a rich friendship until Lili’s death in 1986. Whenever Lili returned to New Zealand for a concert tour she would often stay with the Dewes family, and became a specially loved visitor to the Dewes home at 150 Te Rapa Rd, Hamilton. The Friends of Lili Kraus group was started after Lili settled in Texas, and Peg was instrumental in ensuring ongoing visits. Lili came frequently to New Zealand to perform and run master classes, including one at The University of Waikato. After Lili's death, Peg Dewes began the Lili Kraus scholarship for students in The University of Waikato Department of Music. Peg died in 2019, and her collection of papers, memorabilia and writings of this extraordinary 70 year period of musical and CAS history, have been gifted to University of Waikato by the Dewes family.NameMargaret (Peg) Dewes papersPresented BySarah Dewes (daughter of the late Margaret (Peg) Dewes)Finding aidsA listing is available onlineLocationStorage – New Zealand Rare Books.AccessRequest access to the physical archive

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