THE MELBA BOOM.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11377, 13 September 1902, Page 8

THE MELBA BOOM.

AMAZING BUSH FOR SEATS.

UaHsd Press Association—By Eieotrio T-sf^P-^Copyrigbt.

(Received September )_fe, 9.66 avja.) SYDNEY, September 12.

Six thousand pounds' worth of seats haws been "booked for the Melba <xmcerts. It wm 4-Aended to place a few seats at fivo fallings, but the rush was so great that the minimum price never got below half a guinea.

Speaking recently to an Adelaufe interviewer on bis return from Enghu»o% re-jES-dinz Madame Melba's tour, -fa-George »M_rovesaid?- M Mme. Melba will .make her first appearance in Mdbourne on September 24th, and w& there. She then proceeds to Sydney, wnere she will giro a ain_lar nun&er of <*****' and will then return to Melbourne for Cup week. Naturally, I was deanous that she s_<*_d smg at »-^to 9 fl» racing carnival, but Mme. Melba would not tear of it. 'Oh, no/she said, when 1 proposed it; 'no singing during Cup wee* for mc; ,1 will pay my company, but Tm going to the race* with the boys and grris, and I mean to .thoroughly enjoy myself. "TEsfs just Wat, Melba,''continued Mr Musgrove. ** She is the greatest artist m the world, but.you will perhaps be surprised to find that she. is not only a greet singer, but a real grond sort, too, with no trace- of affectation and no suspicion ot * side." A* an ( rnstanoe of that, I may r.ay that when in London,l received a number of cables and, letters from Australia and ebxwberw from persons who were desirous of _crauging receptions in honour of Madame Melba; but the instructipns I received from her were that she wished to land in Australia as a strictly private individual She will first visit her relatives, whom she is very anxious to see, and after she has made her first public appearance will have no objection to such receptions as may be arranged. Three concerts will be given in Adelaide, and the company will next visit Brisbane, where three concerts will also be given. Possibly, if we can squeeze in time, she will give four more in New Zealand. But that depends entirely on how the steamers to San Francisco run, as Madame Melba is due at New York for the grand opera season." ,

Replying to a question as to whether he was present at Madame Melba'a farewell appearance at Cbvent Garden, MrMusgrove said I was, and it was a revelation in enthusiasm. Madame Melba selected for her final appearance her favourite character Verdi's 'Rigoletto,* and sang divinely. The audience simply went mad, and never. in my life have I witnessed such -scene. The cheering .and applause was deafening* and at the conclusion of the performance it seemed as if the people would never allow her to go. It was wonderful. This was supposed to be her last appearance in London, but tbe next night she went to a party given by the Rothschilds, who are great friends of hers, and sang two songs. This she did in a friendly way, and not for her usual fee, but the Rothschilds would not. allow her to go without accepting a cheque for 1000 guineas. You see, in the lionao_4M-son Madame Melba earns £2000 a week, but she has many calls upon her purse, and is generous to a degree. What with charities and.tbe ready assistance she gives to every Australian who appeals to her, much of her money goa."