Professorship at Royal Academy of Music

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 167, 16 July 1937, Page 11

Professorship at Royal Academy of Music

TOR ROSINA BUCKMAN It is seldom that one learns of people in England hearing wireless addresses delivered in Wellington, one of the iatest to acknowledge having so listened is the cx-New Zealand singer, Miss Rosina Bucknian, who has written to the speaker of the occasion, Dr. Guy Scholefield, of Wellington, as follows: — “Dear Mr Scholefield, —It was exciting to hear your voice on the wireless last evening. It came through splendidly and was most interesting. 1 felt I must write and let you know that I had heard one who I remembered so well . . . . I often wonder if I shall ever visit New Zealand again. Sometimes I hope I shall, but time flies so, and things change so quickly that one is so soon forgotten. I still sing, but not so much as formerly, though my voice is still in very good form. This week I have been invited to become a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and at the same time was elected an honorary member of that institution. The diploma is a very nice one, and lam quite proud of it. I will teach a little, and settle down a bit, as I am getting tired of travelling about. It is difficult to remember sometimes that one docs not grow younger. I adoro my profession, and it is sad someth' to think that tho time must come when 1 must give it up. It was 25 years ago since Mis 3 Buckman first left New Zealand to try her fortune on the English stage and platform. Previous to that she had been a member of tho Melba Opera Company in Australia, when she sang so well that when Mr John McCormack, the worldrenowned tenor, agreed to give some concerts in New Zealand, en route to America, he invited Miss Bucknian to be one of his concert company. Miss Buckman sang in Wellington and Auckland with Mr McCormack; then he went on to the United States, and she returned to Wellington. Only a few weeks l later Miss Buckman received a cable message from Mr McCormack telling . her that there were good chances at i Covent Garden (opera), where Mr Mei Cormack was then singing. > This was her opportunity, but she had ; no money. She frankly told her friends . so. They rallied round her at once. A - complimentary concert was arranged, . and duly given at tho Town Hall. It . was a great success, and a good deal more profit was realised than was wanted for the steamer fare, so that Miss Buckman was sent to England in good heart and with a full purse. She never - looked back. She secured an engager ment at Covent Garden soon after her 3 arrival, and later appeared with the r | English Opera Company in grand opera, in the provinces and London. In the r meantime she worked hard at i ages, and became tlte fully-equipped art--3 ist, thanks to some extent to those : friends in Wellington who gave her “a • leg over the stile.**