MADAME KIRKBY LUNN

Evening Star, Issue 15066, 24 December 1912, Page 6

MADAME KIRKBY LUNN

The visit of such a famous diva as Madame liirkby Lunn marks a new era in tho musical, history of New Zealand. The diV.inguished contralto is one of a small band of notable performers who have attained artistic eminence io the Western Hemisphere, but she stands alone,. inasmuch as she is the only singer who has won equal fame in the three distinct branches of the art of singing—opera, oratoria. and concert work No musical festival in Great Britain is considered complete without her'services. For the past five years she has sung as principal contralto at Covent Garden, and at all the important series of concerts in the main cities of England she is prime favorite. In the United States she ih acknowledged to be the finest exponent of German lieden now before the public. Her recital work in that country has for seme time past set a standard which has not yet been surpassed. She was vecogoised as the first English singer to be ranked with the finest operatic artists of Europe, and as an interpreter of such roles as Carmen, Ortrud in 'Lohengrin,' Annesis in 'Aida.' Fricka, etc , she is unequalled. So high is the opinion in which she is held in Europe that Monsieur Camille Saint-Saens, the famous composer of ' Samson and Deiilah,' specially selected her to interpret the role of Delilah at the first performance at Covent Garden after the removal of the ban by the censor. Music-lovers of Dunedin will get 2ii insight into the famous contralto's reading of this opera, as she has decided to sing the popular aria ' Softly Awakes My Heart,' which is one of the principal numbers of the work, during her season. For her selections for the first concert on Boxing Night Madame Lunn has chosen • Odon Fa-tale,' from ' Don Carlos' (Verdi); 'Sappische Ode' (Brahms); ' Von Ewiger Liebe' (Brahms); 'Morning and You' (Avlward); 'Love is a Dream ' (Pitt); two Scotch songs—' Braw, Braw Lads' and ' Jock o' Hazeldean'; and the popular ' Three Fishers ' (Hullah). Messrs J and N. Tait announce that the four and three shilling tickets are on sale at Jacobs's, the tobacconist's, this evening.