MARY PRATT CONCERT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21984, 20 June 1933, Page 4

MARY PRATT CONCERT

Five years ago Mary Pratt stood for the first time on a public platform to sing at the Dunedin Competitions in His Majesty’s Theatre. From that moment when the public and competition judges alike hailed her with enthusiastic praise her career has been a meteoric one. She has been acclaimed in turn by each centre of the Dominion with a measure of praise which is rarely accorded to any singer by her own country. Td-day she undoubtedly occupies the unique position of New Zealand’s leading contralto, and there is every reason to believe that she is destined to reach far greater heights than these. Several world famous artists have heard Mary Pratt sing, and each has been lavish in his praise. Mr John Brownlee gave it as his opinion that he had never heard a better contralto voice, and when a statement like this comes from a man who was started on the road to fame by Dame Nellie Melba, surely Dunedin people can feel proud of their own young artist. It is interesting to note in passing that it was due to the advice and encouragement of the same famous prima donna that Mr Ernest Drake, Miss Pratt’s singing master, went abroad to study. The concert to-morrow night is to be Dunedin’s compliment to Miss Pratt before her departure for Europe, and there is every reason to forecast that she is going to be worthy of a city with a reputation for musical appreciation such as Dunedin possesses. A fine programme and phenomenal bookings indicate that the concert is going to be an outstanding success, and one which will be long remembered.