CARILLON PLAYER

Hawera Star, Volume L, 19 December 1930, Page 9

CARILLON PLAYER

MISS WATKINS IN SYDNEY. GRADUATE OF MARINES. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) SYDNEY, Dec. 18. Miss Gladys Watkins, of Wellington, the only woman of British nationalty to become a graduate of the famous Carillon School of Malines, arrived in Sydney from Europe by the Otranto. She will give recitals on the Sydney University War Memorial Carillon on Sunday afternoon and Monday evening next. Miss Watkins described M. Joseph Denyn (head of the carillon school at Malines, Belgium), her tutor, ais a remarkable man, who, although more than sixty years of age, was wonderfully alert and full of youthful vigour. He had been playing more than forty years, climbing the 409 steps loading to bis belfry in the great square tower of St. Rom bold’s Cathedral. The school of which lie was the director was subsidised by the Belgium Government. Miss Watkins, who is now regarded as a distinguished carillonist, worked so zealously under M. Denyn that she cstablshed the record of gaining her diploma in fourteen months. During special week-end recitals by students she was priviledged to give one full programme on tin; occasion of the visit of a French general.

According to private advice received in Wellington, Miss Gladys Watkins, the Wellington musician, will arrive in Wellington on December 31. Last Christmas Miss Watkins gave carillon conoerets on the Wellington hells in Hyde Park. Since then she has pursued her studies, and has gained her certificate of proficiency “with distinction” at Malines under the strictest examination. *■