WORLD’S BEST.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 21 January 1928, Page 6

WORLD’S BEST.

VOICES OF AUSTRALIANS

MELBA’S CHALLENGE. ° “You can go to England, France, Belgium and America, and never iiear sucn beautiful voices as tliese,” declared Dame Nellie Melba at Her Majesty's Tneatre when choosing girls tor tile Meioa-Williamson opera season, which will open in lVieioourue 111 iViarcn (states tne byctney Sun). “What about Italy!” interjected someone. “Italy, too,” said Dame Nellie, emphatically. “Australians have the most beautilul voices in the world. I wish we had a great school here to teach the girls and give them a chance.” Sixteen aspirants tor fame, selected from over 2UO, sang for the diva, and it will be a memorable day .for them all. Even those who wore not successful in being included among the nine whom she chose went away knowing it was with the deepest regret that she did not include them.

Her enthusiasm was only matched by her sympathy, and her patience was infinite. Instead of being nervous the girls were inspired by her. The test, as Melba put it, was “terribly difficult.” “But I want it difficult,” said she, and she was openly delighted a# singer after singer came through the slow arpeggio which tested both the breathing and the top notes.

The first tests were made to the accompaniment of an upright piano, but this did not satisfy Dame Nellie, so Mr Fritz Hart, of Melbourne, was placed at a grand piano. One of'the girls had a soro throat and could not reach the high “C,” so Melba replaced Mr Hart and took her through herself. Incidentally, she gave one or two lessons in forming the vowels, standing beside the girls with her hand on thenarms as she did so. “LUCK!”

“There's luck for you,” she called from the stalls to one girl, as a little black cat walked on to the stage ; and when that trial was over she told a story of how, during the last opera season, she had gene out to her car to find a black cat on the step. The cat refused to leave the car and climbed right inside. A few days Tater it had kittens—“all black,” said Melba; “and I have one of them now.”

Melba’s memory is well known. Today after one trial she called the singer back. “You were with us belore, weren’t you?” “Yes, Dame Nellie.” “I thought so.” One pretty girl was stopped after she had gone through but a quarter of her song. She turned away with a disappointed look, and Melba called her back. “Thank you,” she said. “You have a beautiful voice,” and this voice will bo duly heard in the operas. When tlie tests were over Dame Nellie said she thought the voices in Australia were so lovely because the girls led such healthy, out-of-door lives. The successful -girls who were given their parts immediately were the Misses Peggy Bell, Eva Webb Jones, Irene Duncan, Ethel Miller, Mary MacCorniack, Eileen Boyd, Kathleen Nicholls, Doris Grant and Muriel O’Malley. ;