SINGER’S MEMOIRS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 220, 15 August 1928, Page 2

SINGER’S MEMOIRS

MELBA DOES NOT TALK OF HER AFFAIRS. SYDNEY, Aug. 5. With regard to tho Melba-Butt “Sing ’em muck” comedy, which is receiving such wonderful publicity,. the incident in question, according to Clara Butt, occurred in a special train in England, when she was returning irom .Windsor Castle. With her were Krcisler, Melba and Tosti The subject under discussion was the Australian and New Zealand tour of Clara Butt and her husband, Kennerley Rumford, and Melba, being an. Australian, was stated to be particularly interested. “So you’re going to Australia, sl’O is credited with having said. ‘ 'yell, 1 made £20,000 on my tour there, but ot course that will never be done again. Still, it’s a wonderful country, and you’ll have a good time. YY hat are you going to sing? All I can say is sing ’em muck It’s all they can understand” • . . , Dam© Nellie was at Her Majesty s Theatre last night, when the passage in the life story was brought under her notice. „ . • , ~ . “I am not in the habit of talking of my affairs to others, and I J?’ v ® the whole thing an emphatic denial, she sairl. “And I will take the opportunity of sending Clara Butt a cable on the matter to-morrow.^ “It is interesting to note, continues the life story, which has been written bv Miss Winifred Ponder, “that in s'pite of Melba’s opinion .of her compatriot’s taste in music, Clara Butt’s experience in Australia was quite the contrary- Australian audiences proved quite ns appreciative or the classical items which both she and ICennerlev Rumford invariably included in their programmes as of tire more popular type of songs and ballads, and among the usual innumerable “special requests” that reached them, quite a large proportion. of siren classics as Ginrdani’s “Caro mio ben, Handel’s “Lascia chio Pianga, “Where’er you walk,’ and songs by Schumann and Schubert.

“NO TATTLE.”

CLARA BUTT’S YVALL MOTTO,

FRIENDS WITH MELBA. LONDON, Aug. 7. “Breathe here no tattle nor take none out; “So may the love of God dwell in this house.” The couplet is carved on the wall opposite the front door of Dame_Clara Butt’s cottage at Nortlistoke, 15 miles from Reading, and confronted a representative of the Daily Sketch who was sent to Nortlistoke in connection with the offending passage in Dame Clara’s life story. He was unsuccessful m his quest. Dame Clara being at a cricket match, the locality of which the servants refused to disclose. Dame Clara Butt has not yet returned to her cottage, and her secretary is unable to add to her statement that she had not seen the proofs and that she would not have allowed publication of the statement had she done so. It was stated that Melba’s cable had not been received, but that she would reply direct immediately she received it. The secretary added that- the singers had always been great friends. Dame Clara and her husband, Mr Kennerley Rumford were greatly surprised when thev read the offending passage. The Daily Mail states that at the last Royal garden party the King rereferred laughingly to the singer’s visit to Windsor, after which the incident is alleged to have occurred saying: “I have been reading tho book with tho greatest interest, and finished it last night.”

BOOK’S COMPILER.

FELLOYV STUDENT WITH DAME BUTT.

MELBOURNE, Aug. 7. Miss Winifred Pouder was a fellowstudent with Dame Clara Butt at the Royal Academy of Music. 111-health caused her to abandon a musical career and to take up journalism. Miss Pouder came to Australia about ten years ago, and travelled extensively for a time. Later she visited New Zealand, the Pacific islands and South Africa, and wrote many articles on her travels. When Dame Clara Butt decided to write her biography she invited Miss Pouder to assist. Last year Dame Clara and Miss were travelling together in India. They have been lifelong friends.