MISS AMY MURPHY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 3

MISS AMY MURPHY.

.- ':;mR^IMPRESSIONS M AUSTRALIA, v ■ Miss.AJny>s£urphy on-the;concert platfof.m a■a'familiafcfigure to AVellington eye's,. but;if was'fo'r Miss'Amy'Murphy in a'different'role • that '"Dominica'' .went 'searching -yesterday •' mprning.' / -She;.found jher'on. tho'stagevof- '■ ... tlie.'-o^ra'-:HpAse-''Snrrotindc4' : b^.'a: i men 'and /women '■ singing choruses; into ...the dark-Tpcesse3;.of the/building...which was/in-' , habited; only..by ,the ghosts'.'.of .former: audiences^:v.lt,.was'not easy.to find. Miss Murphy, among-the'others', 'and there .was. no-one to, ■ ask.;, V 'Everyohe-. oil ;-tjic;- stage -was :cithef, / singing or absPrbed; in some Business. One . . man. walked . and - forwards round ■" thVee 7 '/'sides 'of'Hhe, stage,- -his eyes;'oh ;.tho; grbund {all the : ;tim'p'; •another -.passed along . J • tbe.'backy!.joinin§-!in-;t-he'. c^prnses..',occ.asibnaUy/,irith\a b'poming voice; to'the -left'of the stage '.stood; talking earnestly; and . w:h/en: two. of -tKo /principals ;pa'ssed. : out th.ey so'engrossed, in' conversation L one ■' cpuld-'jiot l interrupt/ them.- '.'Thiey all occupied;;' I 'it a?working .party;■; and. 'one. . ' realised , "that;'it is'-a'.'life' of /work-;in'-.which M.i.ss'Murph'y , js>rigaged. Later bn.-.spmeotie' pointed -her ;b'uti'Vand;'a ; ;few- minutes' later, when thei Wd'of the , first .'act was reached, Mis? Murphy-*'herself \. came -and .willingly promised^an'.interview!•/. : .But' it'mu'st;he :ih : the afternoon.';'there'was no saying: when..the /rehearsal' would.'be over - , and,:bs: a'.matte'r' ■ b^fa<?b,. , 'jt.':Wae"'past'tw6*.beforefit : .waß-'fiiiish^.' •'■lJn'st'fancy,' , -said r."ifr is .'" only ' seven since:'my r.tareweir/ in • Welling'tpn';-and since! that_ 'time.*what •;a • iniiMber • of 'places/ L. ; have 'yisiied. -I- have plaved in'Melbourriej Ballarat, Beridigo, 'Ader Perth 7? Kajgooir'ie; 'and 'Sydney,' , and had- a'-'very good : '-'tiihe-jn"every- town:, iWhen I 'first went over. I reached :Melbourne:at : the erid'"of:'the> week, T and was; asked go straight tb'Sydrievy ! 'when the company, were rehearsing. ''the"Blue. ; Moon,' and'- first time'T'met the ■ company, was 'when: I/went do*h^to-/th'e:Hh!eatr'e'to Tohearse.'.'- // ■•■ ''.'. •"',! 'It /must' have been .'a'; very > nervous '- time : for r jouv"/^; : ;-' : '■■■■:'■: :■■..:/."■ •■'.'-;'. .'■ ; . - //"It was, "indeed;"', saicl Miss Mur'pby- with a' .-laugh,'' ' 'but they were all so'Vbry good -to me, "that ; " before.. I- left , . the>"theatre /I: felt q\i'ite • ''it" home.■jWith /the.'com'pany, 1 - 'and- ' hivei''-enjoyed: : ]thei-work-'oVor 'since.;. ."-I thad very ? gcfodvtim'es in-Melbourne.' ',One pf;the • jollie'st was-.on'/theV University, night, 'when the ■ 'stude'hts '■ took.'--all'th.e" theatre and had it ; decbrite'd beautifully, and , among, tho.-de-corations -stuck^little, owls" • swinging- ;in' blue ■ crescent'moons'.': '.JyWas- rather inervpus that . niglrt.'-'for I'■ had r been told: that -'the- students wpuld' express their 'bpiriionsVyery; candidly, and if they ""didn't like-a "singor'they would Bay 'so'.':'■;■ But as soon as I-appeared they, /hailed'^ rap with .shouts- of ' Eia Ora, iJKia , Ora/ : and-. it : was 'delightful to hear /.the Maori "greeting , again.' We had a very good •time. 1 - imd'tho students joined in' the choruses . of'/the i songs, .though : they • left; the .solos alone?';! '■ ''. '.>■■■ ■'■ ;//: ; '■■■'/' ; ■ " ■".'■'■ , 'New-Zealanders will • remember; that. : ever since Miss Murphy, went■ o.v.er^to-Melbourne t6 sing , at a-Me'lba concert she -had had _re.p'eated -'offers ■; ofr-'engagement. in - a:' musical opera r.'cpmpany, ■ fand ,-that'time .-and:-; again . she-''refused : -to leave her home.:; Now;.that; , -she/hasHfiedi/thej-new/ lifa,- she;likes ifr.sb- '•-■ niuch .that^,she ( , isVihcline'd' to- wish', she had ehtpreel uponVit .before.; ,-But,she , .does not quote'her .pivii'vexperienceiasvan. inducement tp:bitter.'girls;:Jo; there aire many circumstances to be taken: into "consideration, and she has been .peculiarly fdrtunate? in' her- 'vintroductioh to stage life. 'For 'bne-thing, , 'she not ihati to.bo separated v niuch-i frbrii:' h.e'r 'family...--Her. sister, Miss'P'ulcie<M'urphy, the same , company ■ tfnderstu_dyin;gvMrs:/Clifton,and..Mri. withiher '.tw.b-littlti:' girjs. .has'-been in"-Aus- : tralia* ; all /'the;" time>. -. They.'', aro -/glad/ 'to ;.§et; , -b'a'ok^to" : .'NjßW'2e?landi ; *nd\:;tp^-baipV..sp6ri.t . ,'their. Ghnstmasij'herei" They,..will- : be':- : 'in : the' Boftihibn' -trir'.'Marchi/'.aM /then ■ r,eturn v .to Austrpliai'^Kefe'/thfejcompany■ starts, off 'with ; B'e,a"son /iff-Sydney..,'-■/■.■.. ■':i'-"r-''.hady'a//lovely ■ wolcomo' .home,,". saidMiss jfurjpljy,. /' "'There.- wofp shoals .'of.-letter's. ' .■apd'.teiograms'.'from *all parts/ of the'' Do- ; minion, , ;and .cablegrams ;from Australia full of*'go6d wishes;"/' • .'■■'.';• '?,:■/ '.'•• '.'.':'.'■',"' ... /'' : 'l.supp?se"you;have -a- pfetty/'big corro-. • BpondehCe-'at/e|l seasons?." ..•:.;/' /•"-.-. ~: . ( 'V ■' "You /should -see, the-.letters I. have ;frpm ' cbildfeni'! , ,'. said.Miss/Murphy, s.njiling/atvthe recollection.-', '.'I-have';so rmany. dear' li.ttlo letters from'-.children, in' Australia .who. have been :; at the /performances',/dear Quaint little letters.';'-'.-I -always'- .they ■'.'-:■-> .•.-■.■■/,' .■,■;:■'■:': ' '-. ■ /It .was'; evident.'. that-Miss/'Mnrphy.. thoroughly'erijoys lier new life, and one can .well. . bolieve/that her'new. co'mrailes e'njdy their as'sociatibn with ■ her. ; Her-/disposition is'so b.Vight;arid sunny'.-., Both'she'and/Mrs'.,-Mur-phy had'a great.'deal to say abput the .musi-cians.-they "had heard/, in/Australia./ Miss Murphy does not act Jn j "'My' , Lady Madcap,'.' and on her;free nights, she'!had an opportunity .of hearing • sbhje of; Mr. Marshall.Hairs fine! orchestral concerts, Madame Giirrenb, "whom she admires immensely, and Melba. Mrs. Murphy was; enthusiastic .about the/-quality, of .jVlolbaV voice,. its purity and sweetness, and itsy won'dcrful youngness and ' .freshness! ;Sho: had also -heard Clara jßutt ■in^Melbourne; but yMis's :Murphy had missed that/treat, /'" It'.is.a.'tMat'i", said; Mrs. Murgliy. ':". !• would walk-'niiles; to 'hear' Clara iutt-.sing! : SlieMias: a;wonderful voice, rich and svreot, and powerful... I heard ;ho'r' sing '.The.. Lost. Chord,' apeompariiod by. a piano arid the -Town'/Hall /organ, and an ..that: last vorso, whon tlw organ , poured orit a-volume •of isound such' as .you would expect 'to drown any. voice; Clara/Butt's voice rosei /above it all.' Arid then as. an/encorp. she'; came back end sang a!littlo lullaby! in the softest tones. Sbo'i»-an-artist, and essentially. a woman. Ybufeel that: wliilo'sho. sings." ■/ ,;./,■. ; : Miss Murphy-!is not neglecting-her, studies .'whiln she is' on tour,.'but.;gives as much ; ,titnb as she:can:to tho study of ; the -higher oV ss,ca !-• T^ 3 ' r ' s '' o J oves her art,"and aims at. continual improvement.- Her -friends /sre.all heartily glad;to have:an opportunity ■ofihearing for. themselves how ; she;is .progres-i--jiDg..:'. ■! r - ■■•■.-•. ■.'■•■:' .-■■ ■'. ■■'•■ ■ ;..-'■..-