MUSIC AND MUSICIANS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12423, 17 April 1926, Page 14

MUSIC AND MUSICIANS

SUCCESSFUL DEBUT MISS MILLICENT KNIGHT SINGER'S LIFE IN LONDON. Miss Millieent Knight, the 1 New Zealand mezzo-soprano, who made a successful public appearance In London, tells of her experiences in a ‘letter to Mr Harold Whittle, the well-known Wellington pianist. At her debut Miss Knight sang to a crowded house, which gave her a fine reception. Amongst her numbers were: "Morir vogl'io" (Astorga), "Gia il sole dal Gange" (Scarlatti), "Quella fiamma che m'accende" (Marcello), and "Arraez-vous d'un noble courage" (Gluck), "Lamento" (Duparc), "Le Moulin" (Pierne), "Lee Trois Princess'' (Vuillermoz), "Les Petiots" (Moret), "How not* so fast, ye fountaines" (John Dowland), "Sweet Kate" (Robert Jones), "My Sweet Sweeting" (Erederiek Keel), "Dawn" (Gustave Holst), "1 Have Twelve Oxen" (John Ireland), "Bless My Browns" (Harold Cruxton), "The Terrible Robber Men" (Herbert Hughes), "Du hist die Rub*" (Schubert), ' "Der Schmied" (Brahms), "V erborgenheit" and "Der Gartner" (Wolf).

Referring to her concert, Mibb Knight writes: "f was fairly nervous when I. walked on to the platform, but not as had as I expected, due, I think, to Mr Harold Croxton. He was a tower of strength. My. first group was a great success, especially 'Armez-vous/ The second group I was rather scared about beforehand, for it was terribly difficult, but it was a huge success, especially 'Lee Petiots/ Mr Croxton's group was beautiful. ' He is a lovely pianist, as I guess Miss Stella Murray has < told you. His encore was a piece by Purcell. My

English group went well, especially, Bless My Browns/ which I had to repeat. Also , I had to repeat 'Der Schmied' in my German group, "I had a wonderful house and a most enthusiastic .audience. I lost count of the recalls I had, and I had to give two encores, for the people simply would not budge. I received 14 bouquets, three huge baskets of flowers (on© from Madame Ada Croseley), two large boxes of chocolates, and* a large horseshoe of white heather. Crowds came round to the artists’ room afterwards to congratulate me. Sir James and Lady Allen were there, representing New Zealand; Lady Cook (Australia), Mr and Mrs Robert Mill (manager of the Bank of New Zealand in London), and, of course, loads of New Zealand folk. They were just wonderful the way they turned up. "After the recital Madame Ada Crossley gave a wonderful reception for me at her home, ,36, Cavendish square. There were between .50 and 80 guests. Really Madame Crqssley has been exceptionally good to me, and I can never' thank her enough. "Now for my Press notices. They are just excellent, and my teachers Madame Crossley are delighted with them. My teachers are: Singing, Madame Esta. d’Argo (I have \Oeen with her for two'years, and she has been just wonderful); French diction, Mdlle. Alico Meynard, the Parisian diseuse and'elocutionist; French grammar, Mdlle. Richet; and German and Italian diction, Signorina Feilliogen. *\E£ is now over* four years since I left New Zealand, and I cannot say they have been easy years, for it is only when one comes to London that' one realises all the terrible difficulties one has to overcome. However, I have been lucky, for I have had a homo with me all the time. I have hafl to work hard, very hard indeed, and I who used to be so fond of dancing have not been to half-a-dozen dances since I came to London. Not that I wish to complain, for I am only one of thousands who have had a lot to go through, and hundreds have had worse times than I have. / "My first two years Were with the wrong teacher (going every day to lessons), and I very nearly lost my voice; but, thank goodness, we saw it m time, and 1 left. I have just bqen two years with Madame 'd'Argo, but out of that time I have had four months off for two operations, three months doped with inoculations for colds, and quite three months off for holidays. Therefore, I think Madame d'Argo has. done wonders in preparing me in such y, short time for my recital. ' i "I was present at a welcmne hero to Mies Stella Murray at the New Zealand Office. She was looking very well. "I often see Edwin and Claude Tanner. They are both playing beautifully. I heard them at the Dominions Artists* Club concert, Sprint Gardkn Galleries, and they/ did so/ well." In closing, Miss Knight says that she hopes to returh home in a few months, although 6he cannot say s<f' definitely. * . • s • * ' * “Which one of the two powers may lift man to the highest plane, love or music? That is a problem. But it seems ’one might say, love cannot give us an idea of music, while music expresses love. But why separate the one from the other? Are they not the two wings of the soul?” - —Berlioz. ,