Honorary Ambassadors

Jim’s activities for the orchestra include transporting orchestral instruments and gear, organising advertising signs, visiting central Howick on many Saturday mornings to ask the locals “are you interested in orchestral music?” and handing out brochures about the orchestra. He liaises with the Manukau City Council on the orchestra’s behalf and organises the concert-goers’ bus from Howick and Pakuranga to the Genesis Energy Theatre in central Manukau.

The whole family has been and still are involved with the orchestra. Jim’s wife, Ella, is MCSO Vice-Chairperson. Their children have played in the Manukau City Symphony Orchestra and also help behind the scenes.

Jim Donald is a retired Howick Community Constable, having also worked as a police dog handler for 13 years in South Auckland. He has wide interests in the Howick community: he has served as a Councillor for Howick and is currently serving as Howick Community Board Chair.

Maggie is one of the MSO’s most ardent and dedicated supporters – taking fliers and posters around parts of Auckland City in the first few years as well as Manukau City, Papakura, Pukekohe and Clevedon. She advertises MSO concerts wherever she can as well as broadcasting it to all friends and acquaintances. She ceaselessly looks at new ways she can communicate that the MSO is a great orchestra to play in, giving wonderful concerts. She is most appreciative of what she learnt from the Music Director, Uwe Grodd, other guest conductors, and the Concertmaster Jane Wright. She is enthusiastic about the growing size of the orchestra and feels the future is secure with its mix of all age groups.

Maggie, who comes from a musical family, grew up during WWII in the UK, taking music to School Certificate level. Her father taught music at Wallasey Grammar School. He was an accomplished pianist, organist and conductor, as well as a string player. Her mother was a violist, pianist and at one time a singer; her brother plays cello. As a teenager, Maggie was fortunate to attend many concert seasons at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Concert Hall – both orchestral and chamber music – hearing most of the classics, including all the top soloists of the day, and the then “modern” music. Her pin-up boy was no film star but the late Sir Malcolm Sargent. She was late in starting to learn to play the violin, but when working in Liverpool had lessons with a pupil of Ysaye and in Cambridge with a pupil of Max Rostal. Maggie also played in CUMS (The Cambridge University Musical Society) and several College orchestras.

Maggie arrived in New Zealand in 1961, and married her English husband in 1962. She was able to have lessons with Elsa Jensen in the 1970s and, when she retired from secretarial work, refresher lessons with Rae Crossley-Croft.