Betty
Wendelborn was born in Invercargill, New Zealand and has been actively involved
as a teacher, composer, arranger, choreographer and dramatist for over 20 years.
She works with both school and adult groups to impart and enhance music skills,
as well as conducting workshops in drama, mime and movements.
Qualifications - Dip.Teaching, Dunedin:
Mus.Bach., Otago/Waikato; Certificate of Creation Spirituality, Oakland, California;
.A.T.C.L.piano.
Currently Vocal and Drama Tutor
at the Nelson School Of Music.
Her own compositions have been numerous.
In 1969 she composed, produced and
directed From the Nothing, a dramatic and dance presentation of
Maori creation myths.
Betty Wendelborn's research into
some of the early mystics - Julian of Norwich, Hildegard von Bingen, Meister Eckhart
and Mechtild - led her to set their writings and poems to music. This resulted
in the publication of three books of words and music titled Sing Green
(1988), Dance Peace (1989) and Homecoming (1990),
which were also recorded on audio-tapes.
In 1992 she produced and directed
Young Messiah, an upbeat dance-drama interpretation of Handel's
Messiah, performed to enthusiastic full houses.
Starchild was her
next major work, staged first as Lovechild at the Regent Theatre,
Masterton (1993), then at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington (March 1994), before
its name change and a full scale big-theatre version with full orchestra at the
St James Theatre, Wellington (December 1994).
In between these highlights Betty
Wendelborn has composed some hundreds of songs and instrumental pieces, many of
which have been published. Her latest major achievement was the composition and
production of a St Matthews Youth Mass as part of the 1996 Wellington Fringe Festival.
