Kenneth McKellar in Chch

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33063, 2 November 1972, Page 16

Kenneth McKellar in Chch

Kenneth McKellar thinks that the South Island of New Zealand may have one of the world’s largest concentrations of people descended from Scottish stock.

Now on his fifth tour of New Zealand, Mr McKellar arrived in Christchurch yesterday to prepare for his two concerts in the city — this evening and next Wednesday.

“I like New Zealand very much,” Mr McKellar said. “I keep coming back because I am asked, and because I know that the audiences here are always warm and appreciative. There are always plenty of Scots who come to see me.”

Mr McKellar has many relatives in New Zealand — 60 at the last count — and said that each time he arrived in

a New Zealand city, he was greeted by members of his family. A keen writer, Mr McKellar has recently written a book, “The Romantic Scotland of Kenneth McKellar,” which he will autograph during the latter part of his fourweek tour of New Zealand, the book having just arrived here. It comprises 40 Scottish songs, with biographical details of the authors and an illustration of the country source of each song. “Scotland is a bloodstained but very romantic country,” Mr McKellar said. “This is still true, for although it is highly industrialised in the main centres, it has wide open spaces much like New Zealand, and has a history and musical tradition full of romanticism.” When Mr McKellar travels abroad, he often writes articles, of interest to Scots at home, about the country he is staying in, and sends them back to Scottish newspapers. He has also been writing

scripts, mostly for music programmes for the 8.8. C., since 1954, and has combined his talents of writing and singing to compile his new book. “My favourite recreation is golf. As yet, I have not had time to sample any New Zealand golf courses on this tour, although I hope to do so before I leave,” he said. Before he left Scotland, Mr McKellar completed the narrative and singing part for a film, “The Great Waltz,” which stars Rossano Brazzi and Horst Bucholz, and is about the life of Johann Strauss. The film will open in London at Christmas, and is expected to be in New Zealand not long after.

Mr McKellar’s love of opera as well as the traditional songs of Scotland is obvious from his choice of programme for his New Zealand tour — the first half of the concert comprises a variety of excerpts from operas, operettas, and folk songs, and the second consists of the Scottish songs for which he is so famous.