BETTER DAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 51, 29 August 1934, Page 10

BETTER DAYS

BOOM IN LONDON

REMARKS ABOUT SINGERS

The opinion that New Zealand female voices were equal to, and in many cases

better than, those found in Great Britain .was expressed to a "Post" reporter by Madame E. C. Sierakowski, of Christchureh, who arrived in Wellington today by the Eangitata from Lpn.don, after an absence of about seven months on the Continent and England. Madame Sierakowski, who is a noted singer herself, said that the voice now

being favoured was of the light, so.ubrette type . While the English male voices were superior to those in New Zealand, this was riot the case with women singers. ■

A good deal of ballet dancing was being seen on the London stage, she- continued, but it was very little better than that se.cn in New Zealand. She bad found the English theatres very expensive, but London was very busy at present, experiencing a mild, boom, and the theatres were well patronised in spite of their high prices. It was a common occurrence to see people waiting in the morning outside a theatre for the evening performance. While in London she had met Miss M. Miller and her brother, Mr. Malcolm Miller, and also Miss M. Cunningham, all New Zealand artists Who were achieving success in the theatres there.. Miss Miller was formerly pianist at 3YA. Her brother was doing exceptionally well in Covent Garden opera, said Madame Sierakowski. A Visit was paid to the Elstree Studios, where she saw and heard Richard Tauber making the picture "Blossom Time" and singing with, a cljoir of 150 voices. The accompaniment for the singing was provided by an organ in a- church seven* miles from the studio and relayed. Another brilliant performance which she and her husband had attended had been "Hiawatha," staged at the Royal Albert Hall with 500 voices and 300 ballet dancers. It was truly brilliant. Tho hall, which held about 5000 people, was packed, ORE AT BUILDING ACTIVITY. "London is experiencing a boom," said Mr. Sierakowski. "Thousands of new houses are being built, and the suburbs are spreading all the time." In Kensington, he knew of four blocks of flats which had been built, each with accommodation for 300 to 500 people. There appeared to be- no shortago of money in London when he was there. On the other hand, Paris was quiet, and there were very few people at Monte Carlo. "London is now the draw," he added, "and you find great difficulty in obtaining rooms at the hotels." He had not found that conditions were as bright in Edinburgh as in London. "Traffic in London is controlled most marvellously, and it is the outstandiug feature of London. Everybody says so," he continued. Tho London traffic was becoming so vast that it sometimes took about an hour and a half to go eight mUgs. It was nothing to see .i blockage of a mile of solid traffic in the capital. "The important problem today is how to cope with it," lie said. "It seems as though the autogyro will be brought into use to deal with it. Already the police are trying it." While in London he and his wife attended tho Aldershot Tattoo. "When one has seen great functions like the Royal Tournament, the Aldcrshot Tattoo, and the Trooping of the Colour," ho concluded, "it makes one fuel j proud lo belong to the British nation."!