THE CLARA BUTT BOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 3

THE CLARA BUTT BOW.

* .'•.The."Clara Butt" bow is being:assiduously, practised by..girls. in[ Sydney,.' "not that v;e are'likoly to need it.," as th6y. say. Tho old childish pastime of revolving'on oneVheel in the . mud (or, 1 better -.still,' in 'soft, asphalt), which mado our hearts so ba'ppy- 'and mirso .no cross when she boheld the condition of our boots, comes in grandly towards the proper accomplishment .of V "the"- bow. .The . rcnownedcontralto, bearing a large bouquet of flowers, enters, and with her. right foot'makes one long forward stride, and collapses in an almost tclesCopic movement. in .the bow .to. tho. audience in 1 the body of the'hall. .Up again, she swings lightly to the right to bow to the people in the south gallery, and to the left ror.-those in tho northern. Then, turning shaiply on her own axis, as it were, she '.wheels' half-round, and, with the most graceful: of bonds, bows .to those seated t on the platform behind.' .Completing' the - 'circular .swing, she faces the audience once more, her gown being caught in folds right round her figure by this -time. -With a .'-deft., movement. (not\ tho vicious "kick" so'often'scon) she frces-h'orsdf, draws up to tho,full Gft. 3in;/ofher .height, and, : 'p|acin(]c'[the' bouquet 'on the grand piano, quits 1 smiling .and . looks very serious; Singing• at" the Qjiccn's Hall, -in London,., .where the. platform u's narrow, with seats rising.-tior above* tier from it,-so thatthe audience there-lis--almost within touching distance of the l singer ;■ or -at, the Handel-Fes-tival. at. thb Crystal Tnlaco," where the or-' ciiestra-; and chorus itr hundreds-are seatedin close proximity to the- principals/ the "pivot" bow : is' an absolute, necessity.' What a lot wo would miss here if no audience wer6 : accommodated' on our platforms! The splendid fit of the back of Madame's gown, tlio fine ,the hips, .the magnificent sweep ofthe train—theso would all be' lost, especially in the Sydney Town' Hall. The contralto's I staturo. was scarcely., remarked, here, so-well-proportioned is she.-,till she.camo in once (after. 1 , l Abide with Me") hand-in-hand with tlic organist, a local man of average.height. -Luckless, man I he seemed a veritable dwarf. -,