KEY POINTS:
Kiri Te Kanawa proves there really is nothing like a dame.
The international opera star put on a classic diva performance yesterday as she appeared in a Sydney court to defend legal action over an aborted plan to sing with Aussie artist John Farnham.
The New Zealand-born Dame Kiri at one stage reminded the New South Wales Supreme Court it was "inappropriate" to address her by her first name.
During two hours of evidence the 62-year-old opera legend also assured the packed courtroom she was a "nice" person.
And when the curtain came down on her appearance, Dame Kiri looked on without emotion as her security guard manhandled a reporter and blocked a public lift so she could travel seven floors in private to the ground floor. Sunglasses firmly in place, the soprano strode confidently from the court building before being whisked away in a waiting BMW.
Wearing a black suit and crisp white shirt, Dame Kiri gave evidence at a hearing to decide whether she had breached a contract by pulling out of a series of concerts with Farnham.
Leading Edge Events is suing Dame Kiri, her company, her former agent Nick Grace and his company after she pulled out of the three shows in Melbourne and Sydney in 2005.
The promoter is seeking up to A$2 million ($2.28 million) in compensation - $600,000 plus 25 per cent of the shows' potential profits.
Yesterday Dame Kiri told the court she was reluctant to appear with Farnham after watching a DVD of his farewell tour in 2003, saying she was shocked and embarrassed by its content. She said it was disrespectful the way Farnham collected the knickers thrown at him by fans and held them as some sort of "trophy".
She also thought the singer talked too much on stage.
The court heard how Dame Kiri had been reluctant to again perform with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, after her 2003 tour of Australia met with limited success.
She had "problems" with the orchestra, she admitted.
Under questioning from Leading Edge Events barrister Richard Evans, she agreed she might have said they "can't even play a tune".
The court heard earlier this week how Leading Edge Events chartered a helicopter for her in 2004, so she could travel quickly from an Auckland meeting to her 60th birthday celebrations.
Taking the stand yesterday, the famous singer, who performed her last opera in 2004, told the court she preferred to be addressed as Dame Kiri.
"[To address me by] my first name would be inappropriate," she told Justice Patricia Bergin. "I'm normally called Dame Kiri, otherwise Ms Te Kanawa would be too long for anyone to pronounce," she said.
But she denied she had to always sit in the same seat when travelling overseas, telling the court that while "1B Singapore Airlines" is her preferred seat, sometimes it is not available to her.
Appearing to contradict her horror at his behaviour, Dame Kiri said Farnham was a nice person and a good singer. "I have great respect for Mr Farnham's talent and for his celebrity," she said.
- AAP
