QUEEN OF SONG

Evening Star, Issue 21004, 19 January 1932, Page 7

QUEEN OF SONG

BEVERLEY NICHOLS'S NEW NOVEL CHIEF CHARACTER SUGGESTS MELBA Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, January 18. The newspapers regard as a sensation Beverley Nichols’s new novel ‘'Evensong,’ which will be published to-day emphasising that the novel deals with the decline of a world-famous soprano and pointing out that Mr Nichols for some years acted as the late Dame Nellie Melba’s secretary and that there are resemblances between Madame Irela of the novel and the great Australian. The ‘ Daily Express ’ begins its review:, “ As Dame Nellie Melba might have said, ‘ Bravo I Bravo! Beverley Nichols. A deucodly entertaining book, and how perfectly of you to make Irela so like me!’ ” The ‘Daily Express ’ goes on: “ Irela, which Mr Nichols pronounces Iralya, is an elderly soprano whose physical and vocal decay is brutally painted by this cynical young man. We are told that the characters are fictitious, but those who knew Dame Nellie Melba will wonder where was Mr Nichols’s tongue •when he made that statement. Much pointed and malicious play is made of Irela’s annual farewells. Moreover, Irela has queer physical tricks, such as tapping the ground with her right foot, licking her upper lip, and very determined crossing of her feet when she is nervous and ill-tempered, and Dame Nellie Melba has exactly the same mannerisms. Irela is terribly jealous of Baba Young, a soprano in her company.” The ‘ Daily Express ’ adds: “ Dame Nellie Melba could never bear any challenge to her supremacy as queen of song.”