NATIONAL CONCERT

Evening Star, Issue 18288, 30 May 1923, Page 1

NATIONAL CONCERT

Tho first of a scries of national concerts, under the auspices of the Piping and Dancing Association, will take place in His Majesty’s Theatre next Saturday evening. In previous years those concerts were held in the "Burns Hall, hut owing to so many people having had to be turned away, His Majesty’s Theatre, with nearly three times the amount of accommodation, has been secured this season. Tho association is noted throughout Otago for tho excellence of its concerts, and no effort or expense is being spared this year to make them surpass all previous ones, bliss Bessie Fraser, of Sydney, tho noted Scoltish-Australian prima donna, to whom the association is paying a large fee specially for these concerts, will make her first appearance in New Zealand on Saturday evening. As some indication of the great popularity in Australia of this gifted singer it may bo mentioned that she receives a fee of twenty guineas for each concert in her home city of Sydney, and was paid fifty guineas lor ono concert in Perth, W.A., fast year. The enterprise of the Otago Piping and Dancing Association in specially importing Miss Fraser for its concerts deserves success. Her sister, Miss Winnie Fraser, whom tho association engaged last year, sang with great acceptance at several concerts in the dominion. Another notable singer engaged by the association at a high foe for Saturday evening is Mr Arthur Macdonald, the premier baritone of Christchurch. Several other performers from outside Dunedin will also appear.