CORONATION CHOIR

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27047, 23 May 1953, Page 2

CORONATION CHOIR

FIRST REHEARSALS HELD (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 21. The first two rehearsals of the Coronation Choir have taken place in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and the eight New Zealanders in it have been deeply impressed. There will be one more rehearsal in St. Margaret’s before the choir rehearses in Westminster Abbey next Tuesday. The New Zealanders invited are: Miss Phyllis Mender, of Christchurch, who, since leaving New Zealand six years ago, has studied in London, Brussels, and Paris; Miss Norma Fitzgerald, of South Canterbury, who has studied in Melbourne; Miss Mona Ross, of Hamilton, who won a Clara Butt Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music; Miss Jean Curtis, of Wellington, winner of a contralto test at the Wellington competitions festival; Andrew Gold, of Auckland, who won a choral scholarship to Westminster Abbey and sang in the choir tbe re for two years; John Thompson, of Wellington, now studying at the Opera School- Bryan Drake, of Dunedin, and Inia te Wiata, a Maori singer, who have both taken many leading Covlnt Garden R ° yal ° P6ra H ° USe ’

Miss Mander, who has not sung in a big choir before, said it was a wonderful experience, and the first smooth been remarkably