ENGLISH SINGER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 208, 3 September 1935, Page 8

ENGLISH SINGER.

MADAME BRUNSKILL'S VISIT.

TO TOUR NEW ZEALAND

After a year's successful tour of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Mrs. K. Aiiieworth (Madame Muriel Brunskill), the noted English singer, arrived in Auckland this morning by the Marama. Madame Brunskill will begin a concert season in New Zealand to-morrow evening.

For some seven months in Sydney Madame Brunskill sang in grand opera. "Judging rrom the reception we got," she said, "I would say that Australians are as fully appreciative of grand opera as English people.

"Recently in England there lias been a revival of interest in opera, and" an autumn season as well as the usual spring one has been instituted. Speaking generally I would say that opera is becoming more popular throughout the British Empire than ever before. Of course, we can never hope to have opera such as they have on the Continent, where it ie subsidised by the State. Every town in Germany, Austria, Italy and some other Continental countries has its municipal opera house, and a very high standard of singing is maintained. Thus a national opera is encouraged which is noticeably lacking in England."

This is Madame Brunskill's firs.t visit to New Zealand, "and it.is likely to be my last," she said, "for are so far away from London and the travelling takes xip so much time."

Born in the beautiful Lake District of Westmorland, Madame' Brunskill's career has not lieeri meteoric. By. hard and steady work she has 'gradually worked her way up the ladder of fame until to-day she is recognised as one of the greatest contraltos that England possesses.

Madame Brunskill expects to spend some five weeks in. New Zealand before returning to London by way of the East. Aceompaning Madame Brunskill on her Xew Zealand tour is Mr. Carl Bartling, the well-known Melbourne pianist. For some years Mr. Bartling was solo pianiet at the State Theatre, Melbourne, until he became coach to the Australian grand opera company.