Audrey Coreen Gray - known as Coreen - is celebrating her 100th birthday with plenty of singing - much to the delight of those blessed to know her.

“It’s incredible,” says Coreen, who reached the century mark on Wednesday, August 21. “I never thought I’d make it to 100.”

Born in Yorkshire on August 21, 1924, Coreen moved to Blackpool where she started playing piano around the age of five.

She says she doesn’t remember why her parents had a piano.

“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.

“There was a war on so I couldn’t go to the Royal College of Music, particularly if you were of call-up age,” she says.

Jeremy Whimster conducting the Tauranga Civic Choir at Coreen Gray's 100th birthday celebration concert at Bayswater on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

After gaining a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) and Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM), Coreen was a soloist for the BBC and taught music in various English schools and in the Channel Islands.

She sang in the Leeds Festival Choir in 1951, describing it as a wonderful experience learning under contralto Kathleen Ferrier and baritone Roy Henderson.

In 1961 she boarded the Rangitane for New Zealand, narrowly missing being killed en route by a malfunctioning rocket reportedly fired from Cape Canaveral. She started teaching music at Auckland’s St Cuthbert’s College and became a New Zealand Music Competition’s adjudicator.

“I met my husband Malcolm here in New Zealand in the headmaster’s study at King’s College after a performance of Messiah in 1962. We married in 1964.”

Her husband Malcolm Gray, who had been a pupil at King’s College returned as a schoolmaster there.

“We moved to Tauranga when Malcolm retired from teaching,” says Coreen, who after marrying also taught at King’s College.

MC and former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless arranged with Kiri Te Kanawa for a special pre-recorded video to be played for Coreen Gray at her birthday celebration at Bayswater on Saturday, August 17. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Coreen joined the Pāpāmoa Beach Women’s Institute in 1981 and served as president. She was secretary of the Tauranga Federation for two terms and in 1986 was the guest vocalist at the 1986 Women’s Institute Conference in Wellington.

She helped establish the Tauranga Women’s Institute choir in 1993, of which she was choir mistress and conductor.

In 1985, Coreen joined the Tauranga community choir Oriana Singers, leading the group until 1996 and remaining a member for 29 years.

A long-standing accompanist, pianist, and singer, she has taught music, sung, accompanied, and conducted for all her adult life.

She was awarded life membership of the Oriana Singers in 2015 in recognition of her contribution to the choir and became its patron in 2016.

Coreen Gray, who lives at Bayswater retirement village at Mount Maunganui, has reached 100 years of age. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

A member of the New Zealand Choral Federation she founded the Bay of Plenty branch and is a life member of the Choral Federation.

She was a vocalist and accompanist with the Tauranga Civic Choir for 10 years and was made a Life Member in 2013.

“I’ve been married but no family,” says Coreen, who says she has no living relatives in England.

“I’m permanent here in New Zealand.”

The centenarian received congratulatory cards from the King and Queen, the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, and the minister for seniors - a role she admits she didn’t even know existed.

In 2020, Coreen was honoured with a Queen’s Service Medal for her contributions to choral music.

“That was quite unexpected too. It was such an honour, especially when there are so many others who also deserve recognition.”

Music has been a constant source of joy for Coreen throughout her life. She had a hunch that the celebration planned for Saturday, August 17, at Bayswater Village, where she resides, would feature some musical elements.

Upon entering an auditorium filled with applause, Coreen was invited by former Tauranga mayor and MC Greg Brownless to perform. She took her place at the grand piano and delighted the audience with a rendition of I Could Have Danced All Night.

The event continued with an hour of performances by some of Tauranga’s top classical singers, including Wendy Coster, Friederike Andre, Regan McFarlane, Nigel Drake, Richard German, Elizabeth Gawler, Hilda Bester, and Christine Leaf. Their repertoire included works by Mozart, Offenbach, Richard Strauss, Leo Delibes, Engelbert Humperdinck, Arthur Somerville, and Giacomo Rossini.

The Tauranga Civic Choir, conducted by Jeremy Whimster, performed He Honore and a selection of traditional Scottish songs. Coreen has been an integral part of the choir for 10 years, earning Life Membership in 2013.

She has volunteered as a singing instructor for people with dementia at Bayswater Retirement Village, as well as working with general residents to stage musical productions four times a year.

She has also taught a singing group through the University of the Third Age, been a member of Registered Music Teachers New Zealand, an organist at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Mount Maunganui, and a member and past conductor of the Te Puke Lyceum Choir.

Kate Graeme of Forest & Bird and BOP MP Tom Rutherford took to the stage to offer their congratulations.

“Forest & Bird started its life around the same time as Coreen, and both are going strong. Coreen has been a huge supporter, and her husband Malcolm was the first chair of Te Puke Forest & Bird branch when it began and they both were very supportive members of the branch for many years,” says Kate.

“What a wonderful celebration of Coreen’s remarkable life,” says Tom.

“It’s fantastic to be here at Bayswater for such a great turnout and to witness Coreen play piano and sing. What a wonderful voice she’s got.”

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford with the notice of motion for Coreen Gray at Parliament. Photo: Supplied.

Tom also lodged a notice of motion in Parliament on Wednesday, August 21 “that this House acknowledge Coreen Gray QSM from the Bay of Plenty on her 100th birthday on 21 August 2024″.

The most memorable moment of the celebration on Saturday was the surprise appearance of pre-recorded video messages from Deborah Wai Kapohe and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Coreen fondly recalls judging the young Kiri at a singing competition in Te Awamutu in the late-1960s.

“I was new to New Zealand and was adjudicating competitions. I awarded Kiri three first prizes, and it’s amazing to see her achieve international fame. She was just a young girl then and I will never forget how impressed I was with her voice.”

Having lived at Bayswater for 24 years and recently moving into their care home, Coreen continues to find joy in music.

“I just love it,” she says. “Music is one of the great joys of life.”