A MUSICALE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 18

A MUSICALE

TALK BY MISS A. BEVAN

"Music all the way" would be a fitting description for the afternoon party given yesterday at Mrs. C. G. Scrimgeour's home in Woburn Road, Lower Hutt. Organised by Mrs. Ray Brown and Mrs. Parata Olsen to further a musical object, the candidature of Miss Flora Ferretti, Northern Queen in the Hutt Municipal Silver 'Band's carnival contest to raise funds for new instruments, the delightful concert programme given featured musical items of high standard and varied type.

Of outstanding interest was the informal talk given by Miss Andri Bevan, who spoke of some of the .musical personalities and notabilities she had been associated with in her recent sojourn in Europe, and who gave interesting sidelights on life in English and Continental musical circles. Gerald Moore, whom she described as one of the leading. accompanists of the day, and who played for most of the great artists including Chaliapin, impressed her immensely. The French singer, Yres Tinayre, one of the leading recitalistSv of the moment, was another outstanding figure and apart from his singing, was famous for his research and discoveries in old music. From the museums and libraries of Europe and from public and private collections he had brought to light wonderful discoveries, some of these dating back to the young centuries of the Christian era. In his charming home in Paris his library of over 3000 volumes included numerous valuable originals and copies of antique and early scores. Laurent Gallet, one of the rising women composers of Paris, Miss Bevan described as "pretty, charming,,-and clever.'' She had been honoured by this composer inscribing one of her song's to her and hoped to sing it later in the season in Wellington. Another privilege she had enjoyed was that of being accompanied by Louis Aubert, composer of many well-known songs, and her natural diffidence—that of any singer in singing a composer's songs—-had in this case been strengthened by the fact that M. Aubert is recognised as principal critic of Paris opera.

Describing the opera and theatre life of London, Miss Bevan spoke appreciatively of the Player's Theatre, a private club which is a favourite try-ing-out place for new plays, as one of the places where the audience, of well-known people is almost as interesting as the play. She went on to give an enthusiastic description of Sadler's Wells, which with the "Old Vie" is known as the "people's theatre," and offers splendid performances of opera and ballet at nominal pricesi One of her happiest recollections at Sadler's . Wells was a rare performance of Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Snow Maiden," and another the sel-dom-played "Rosenkavalier" of Strauss, both of which were conducted by Lawrence Braithwaite, a former New Zealander.

Delightful items were given by Miss Marguerite Diiffy, Mrs. G. Glover, and Mrs. Parata Olsen (songs), Mrs. L. Anderson (violin solo), and Miss G. Nannestad (elocutionary items), the accompaniments being played by Mrs. M. Tunley, Mrs. Ina Stevens and Miss Bevan.

Posies of heather and early spring flowers were presented to all the performers, and special presentations made to Mrs. Scrimgeour and Mrs. Parata Olsen by Mrs. Ray Brown. Mrs. Scrimgeour was wearing a smart frock of clover pink satin with wide bishop sleeves and a knife-pleated skirt. Mrs. Parata Olsen was frocked in fine black broadcloth, with matching hat and linked fox. furs, and Mrs. Kay Brown wore a model ensemble of prunella wool with cravat and hat trimmings of woodland green.'

. Among the many present were Mesdames A. Foster, G. _R. Millward, M. Tunley, J. F. Silva de Simes, F. Sage. I. Wilson, A. L. Trower, J. Weir, M. Pearce, T. Ferretti, W. Clayton, O. Lloyd-Owen, D. Walker, P. J. Jamieson, V. A. Draper, W. H. Bentley, W. Pemberton, L. Boyes, S. Cooley, A. L. Tilbury, A. Weir, W. Grey, C. Young, H. Green, E. Jenkins, H. - Fraser, G. Glover, Miss G. Nannestad, and Miss Flora Ferretti.