AUCKLAND SINGER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22356, 29 February 1936, Page 10 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND SINGER

CONTRALTO VOICE PRAISED While on his recent tour of New Zealand, Mr. Itoland Foster, Professor of tho School of Opera at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, gave auditions to over 100 aspiring singers, and while expressing himself as generally delighted with the fine quality of many of the voices and the artistic ability of tho singers, it was for an Auckland singer, Jean Macfarlane, that ho predicted a remarkable future. Two j'ears ago Mr. William A. Garrett, of Auckland, found Jean Macfarlane singing soprano. After a short period tho full contralto tone emerged and tho present wonderful voice has resulted.

In addition to possessing a voice range of two and a-half octaves, perfect in tono colour throughout its register, and with an especially moving timbre in its notes, Jean Macfarlane has the distinguished personality, strong build and powers of physical and vocal endurance, and tho dramatic senso which are necessary for the operatic contralto. Sho has been a singer since early childhood in Scotland In Auckland she has broadcast from both IYA and IZB, and has appeared as a soloist in oratorio or church musical festivities.

Upon Mr. Foster's recommendation, however, Jean Macfarlane intends to fallow through the course of training for operatic singers, and will leave Auckland in about two weeks' time for Sydney, where sho will enter tho Conservatorium to study in tho School of Opera under Mr. Foster's direction.