MUSICIANS ON HOLIDAY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26651, 9 February 1952, Page 2

MUSICIANS ON HOLIDAY

PRAISE FOR SINGERS FROM AUSTRALIA LONDON ARTISTS VISIT CHRISTCHURCH “The best material for singers in the world comet, from Australia and New Zealand, and I tnink it must have something to do with your sunshine,” said Baroness Dorothee Schroder, of England, in an interview yesterday alter her arrival in Christchurch from Melbourne on a holiday tour of New Zealand. Travelling with her are two friends, Mr Oystein Sinding-Larsen and his wife, Madame Gerte SindingLarsen, singers of international reputation from Norway who have been teaching in London for some years. Baroness Schroder, who'describes herself not as a singer but as “one who loves to sing,” is a pupil of Madame binding-Larsen. Oystein and Gerte Sinding-Larsen planned to make a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand this year, but when Mr Sinding-Larsen caught a serious throat infection and underwent his tonsils operation they decided to make their tour a holiday visit. Now, instead of singing themselves they hope to hear New Zealanders sing and to meet the singers. Madame Sinding-Larsen is a mezzosoprano who specialises in Heder, and, in the opinion of Baroness Schroder, is at her best singing French songs. She has had offers to sing with leading opera companies, but prefers the concert platform. She and her husband sang Norwegian folk songs at the Fete of Nations, which began in Paris, and later toured France with artists wearing their national costumes. For their outstanding performances the SindingLarsens were presented to the King of Sweden, who heard them sing in Paris. Both speak five languages and regard England as home. “Well, perhaps we ?? y our second home,” put in Mr Sinding-Larsen, bass-baritone and a patriotic Norwegian who is descended from Grieg on his mother’s side and through his father from Christian Smding. The two artists have sung in most of the capitals of Europe, and have been acclaimed as singers of rare gifts. Pupils from New Zealand At their studio in London they have trained many students who have become well-known in musical circles. Two pupils from New Zealand were Newton Goodson, of Wellington, and Miss Lillian McDonald, who now teaches singing in Timaru. Baroness Schroder has a natural high mezzo-soprano voice, but as a child in England she picked up wrong habits in breathing and voice production, and for many years could not find a teacher who was able to bring out her voice. After many years of hard work with Madame Sinding-Larsen her voice has gradually come through. In Australia she was greatly impressed by the music-mindedness of the people. It seemed that every second person could make music, and there was wide public interest in the art, she The party will spend three weeks in the South Island, where they have been told they will see the most beautiful scenery in the Dominion, and two weeks in the North Island