“BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST"

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 9

“BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST"

Baritone Soloist's Career Graeme Gorton, who will be baritone soloist when Sir William Walton conducts the New Zealand Broadcasting Company's Symphony Orcheertra and the choirs of the Christchurch Harmonic Society and the Royal Christchurch Musical Society in a performance of his oratorio “Belshazzar’s Feast” at Canterbury Court on March 7, was bom in Invercargill and began singing when he was at Southland Boys’ High School. He later studied in Dunedin under Ernest Drake and Donaid Munro, He worked in Dunedin as a sales representative until he received an offer to tour for six months with the New Zealand Players in the musical “Salad Days.” Two years later he returned to the stage, taking leading rotes in the New Zealand Opera Company’s productions of “La Tnaviaita,” “Madame Butterfly,” “Hie Marriage of Figaro,” and “Tosca.”

Shortly after, Graeme Gorton received an Arts Advisory Council grant to study in England, where he had the same teacher as his fiancee, the Auckland soprano, Angela Shaw. He sang at the Wexford and Glyndeboume Festivals and on BJB.C. television and toured Sweden with the English Opera Company. After their marriage in England, Angela Shaw and Graeme Gorton returned to New Zealand a year ago and since then they have been soloists in Britten’s War Requiem and in concerts with the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra.

Mrs Irene Bille, a granddaughter of Henrik Ibsen, is following in the family tradition. She has written a play entitled "The Kiss” which has been accepted by the Oslo Nye Teater and is to be produced there shortly.