N.Z. SINGER'S SUCCESS.

Northern Advocate, 23 June 1920, Page 3

N.Z. SINGER'S SUCCESS.

MR .KBNEbT DRAKE IN LONDON,

Less thaa a year ago Mr. Ernest Drake, the New Zealand tenor, was singing in the picture theatres round the Dominion; to-day he is reported to be one of the favourite tenors of the gi<eut metropolis and likely to soar very high in the vocal world. Writing from London on May 2, Cvlr. E. A. Tanner (late acting-secretary of the Wellington Choral Union) said:^

"I know you will be pleased to hear of the success of a fellow-New Zcalander, to wit,. Ernest Drake. It was my privilege to be present at his firet London appearance at the Anssao concert in Albert Hall on April 21. He was associated there with such talent as Rosina Buckmnn, Peter Dawson Maurice d'Oiseley, etc., and got a most enthusiastic reception. Ho opeaed with 'Your Tiny Hand is Frozen,' from 'Boheme,' sung in Italian. For this they cheered him to the echo, and he responded with two encores, ballads. Even then the big audience wasn't satisfied, and he had to sing.' Macushla' over again. Miss Rosina Buckmah told me after the show that his success was positively wonderful, and they all think that he is going to do big things. In chatting with several artists the other evening, they all agreed that Drake woula bojonui ono of the leading tenors here. Ho ,s being trained by Mr. Uttley, one of the best men in England, and his voice is now becoming much mows powerful and is under better control, without in any way having lost any of its natural sweetness. Society has taken him up, and he is being rushed with invitations to visit the houses of the great."