Poor Girl Wins Fame.

Mt Benger Mail, 16 September 1931, Page 4

Poor Girl Wins Fame.

STAR IX OPERA SOXG. DREAM MAY COME TRUE. Seven years ago singing in little church concerts; to-day acclaimed by critics as one of England’s finest operatic singers. This is the record of a 19-year-old Barrow-iu-iFurness girl. Miss Oliver Dyer. When 112 years of age Miss Dyer was taken by her parents to Australia. Through her love of singing she gained the interest of a wealthy Melbourne namesake, Mrs Jantes Dyer, who paid her music foes at the Adelaide Consolatory, At a students’ concert Dame Nellie Melba heard Miss Dyer sing, and her ;i ra so was m> encouraging that Mrs ■ Ivor decided site would send her pro--segi'c to London for further instruction. Xow. by her performance as the lame hoy in “The I’iper. “ the opera at the Lyric Theatre, Hammer■mith, she has jumped into the limelight overnight. “I’m so happy 1 can hardly realise ;t is true yet,” Miss Dyer told an interviewer recently. “1 have always Men keen on singing, and my great am-bition—-like a!! other singers—is to appear at (’oven! Garden, Now it almost seems that there is a possibility that one day my dream may come true. ‘ ■ Before J went to Australia, when 1 was still u school-girl in Barrow-iu-Durness my mother told me that i had either to win a sehoiatship to pay my tees at school or else she would have to .stop Jetting me have music lessons. “Mv father i an electric welder, ami there was never much money for lux itrie.> for myself or my two brothers. However, 1 worked liar*l and won that scholarship, and also carried on with my music. ’’ Mrs Dyer and Mi." Dyer are in no way related.