She narrowly avoided being killed by a malfunctioning rocket.

She awarded a raft of first prizes to a young Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, performed on the BBC, and counts singing at London’s Royal Albert Hall and being awarded a QSM amongst her life highlights.

This last month, Coreen Gray, QSM, sang and played piano at the first ever Bay of Plenty Villages Music Festival at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village held on August 12-13.

And on August 21, she celebrated her 99th birthday.

“I don’t think much about my age, to be honest,” says Coreen. “I’m beginning to get arthritis, but it doesn’t worry me when I’m playing. I’ve been lucky with my health through my singing.

“I feel rather thankful in a way that I’ve been taught to breathe properly. I think it’s made a difference.”

Coreen was born in Yorkshire, and moved to Blackpool where she started playing piano around the age of five.

“I don’t remember why my parents had a piano. But I started learning at a little private school. I was in Blackpool right through the war years.

"It was a busy place with around 95,000 Royal Air Force [personnel] billeted there. I did a lot of concert work for the forces.”

Sam Martin with Coreen Gray, QSM, aged 99. Photo: Debbie Griffiths.

Coreen taught on the Channel Islands for 10 years, and on the side, was performing on the BBC.

In 1961, while enroute to New Zealand, her ship barely avoided disaster.

“I came on the Rangitane and we had an exciting trip out; one of the crew was knifed and thrown overboard and one evening we were watching a film on deck when we saw water suddenly coming over the side but ignored it.

“We were told the next morning that we were lucky to be alive. A rocket from Cape Canaveral had fallen into the sea a couple of miles away. That was a real experience!”

Coreen taught music at St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland and was an adjudicator at music competitions. 

“I found myself at Te Awamutu and discovered a young lady named Kiri Te Kanawa. I think I awarded her three first prizes that week.

"I was quite taken with her – even before she started to sing. When she walked onto the platform, I remember thinking ‘this young lady knows what she’s doing’.”

Coreen joined the Oriana Singers in 1985, leading them until 1996, and a member for 29 years.

“I was a vocalist and accompanist with the Tauranga Civic Choir for 12 years and now, of course, I’m well and truly retired.

"I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my career in music and in 2020, I was awarded a QSM. I thought it was a scam when they first told me I’d been nominated. I couldn’t believe it.”

Bayswater events coordinator Sam Martin says Coreen is a genuine inspiration.

“Everybody hopes they’re like Coreen when they reach that age,” says Sam.

“She’s so vibrant and to be so switched on and so active in mind and body is incredible. She has a better social life than I do!”