Doris Gwendoline Helliwell

Doris Gwendoline Helliwell (b. December 16, 1895) was a renowned concert pianist in early Johannesburg, South Africa. She was awarded Honours in the Associate in Music examinations through Trinity College, London.

Doris Gwendoline Helliwell
Born(1895-12-16)December 16, 1895
Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield, England
DiedSeptember 10, 1952(1952-09-10) (aged 56)
Johannesburg, South Africa
EducationAssociate in Music (Honours), Trinity College London
OccupationConcert Pianist
Spouse(s)
    Francesco Ferramosca
    ​
    (
    m. 1916; died 1932)
      Michele Scuto (Scuto Mitchell)
      ​
      (
      m. 1932; died 1937)
        John Francois Burger
        (
        m. 1942⁠–⁠1984)
        Children2
        Beauty pageant titleholder
        Major
        competition(s)        		Our Beauty Competition 1923
        (Winner)

        In 1916, Doris married prominent violinist Francesco Ferramosca[1] (b. Francescantonio Ferramosca, August 23, 1893, Viggiano, Italy).

        After Ferramosca died in 1932, she married Michele Scuto (name changed to Scuto Mitchell). After Mitchell died a few years later, she married the big-game hunter John Francois Burger. With Burger, she traveled extensively throughout Southern Africa, big-game hunting and gold panning. Accompanying them on their journeys was Doris' pet leopard, Spots. These expeditions are documented in various books written by Burger[2][3].

        As Mrs. Doris Ferramosca she won the inaugural Southern African beauty competition, held by South African Pictorial ("The Union's National Weekly") in 1923[4], which was a precursor to the official Miss South Africa pageant.

        Early history

        Doris was born in 1895 in Sheffield, England to Frederick Helliwell (b. 1870), master butcher in Rotherham and Matilda Earnshaw (b. January 18, 1869), school teacher in Treeton. She had one sister, Phyllis Ida Helliwell (b. November 22, 1900, West Riding, Yorkshire). The family emigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1900s. Doris started studying piano under Barclay Donn, a teacher who specialized in grooming promising pianists for public appearances. She later became a student of the acclaimed piano teacher Sr. Lorenzo Danza.

        Musical career

        Doris performed at a number of concert venues in Johannesburg from 1910 to 1915, and received considerable praise in the press for her interpretations of difficult and intricate piano pieces. She appeared in several printed programmes. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

        Family

        Doris married Francesco Ferramosca (m. January 11, 1916) and they had two boys, Joseph Frederick Lorenzo ("Genzie") Ferramosca (b. May 17, 1916, d. January 3, 2007), and Frank Eugene ("Chickles") Ferramosca (name changed to Mitchell) (b. January 21, 1921, d. March 14, 2003).

        After their 2 children were born she was persuaded by the Cape Town photographer H. Goldstone to enter into the national weekly journal, South African Pictorial's Beauty Competition. The competition opened on June 16, 1923 and concluded on November 24, 1923. From a large number of entries, Doris won the £20 First Prize. This competition was a precursor of the official Miss South Africa pageant.

        Doris' third husband, John Francois Burger, was an avid big-game hunter. In the exploratory days of the early 1900s, despite modern controversy over the practice, game hunting was a substantial source of income for the family. John hunted and slaughtered over 1000 buffalo, by far the most prolific hunter of his time. [12][13][14][15][16][17].

        Doris and Phyllis Helliwell

        References
        2. "John F Burger Books". Shakari Connection. Retrieved Jun 23, 2020.
        3. "John F. Burger vorgestellt im Namibiana Buchdepot". www.namibiana.de. Retrieved Jun 23, 2020.
        4. South African Pictorial, “Our Beauty Competition”, Vol. XVII, No. 434, November 24, 1923.
        5. Johannesburg Ladies' Choir. Grand Concert, Wanderer's Hall, Wednesday, December 3, 1913
        6. Rhapsody Hongroise (Liszt), Masonic Hall, Boksburg, November 11, 1912
        7. La Campanella (Paganini-Liszt), Wanderers' Hall, Johannesburg, Wednesday, March 5, 1913
        8. Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt), Wanderers' Hall, Johannesburg, Wednesday, March 5, 1913
        9. Fantasie Impromptu (Chopin Op. 66), First Eisteddfod, East Rand, 1914 (won Senior Piano solo, and awarded the Eisteddfod gold medal)
        10. Grand Sacred Concert, Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, Sunday May 17, 1914
        11. Sacred Farewell Concert, Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, Sunday, July 12, 1914, 8:45pm
        12. Burger, John F. (1947), Horned Death, Standard Publications, Huntington, West Virginia
        13. Burger, John F. (1957), African Adventures, Robert Hale Limited
        14. Burger, John F. (1957), African Buffalo Trails, Robert Hale Limited
        15. Burger, John F. (1958), African Jungle Memories, Robert Hale Limited
        16. Burger, John F. (1959), African Camp-fire Nights, Robert Hale Limited
        17. Burger, John F. (1960), My forty years in Africa, Robert Hale Limited
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