NOTED SINGER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25852, 24 May 1945, Page 6

NOTED SINGER

DEATH OF ERNEST McKINLAY AUTHORITY ON MAORI SONGS Ernest McKinlay, known as the “ silver tenor,” and a world authority on Maori songs, many of which he recorded, collapsed and died in a Sydney street on Tuesday night. Mr McKinlay, who was aged 56, wrote and sang “ Kia Ora Katoa” (“Good Luck to All”), as well as many other songs. After the last war, in which he was badly gassed, he joined the Diggers’ Concert Party, and later made two world tours with the Westminster Glee Singers, appearing seven times at Buckingham Palace. Mr McKinlay, who for the past 15 years had lived in Sydney, was born in Dunedin. He began his musical career in the North-East Valley Band, and later studied under Mrs Monkman Dempster. After various successes in local competitive fields he went to France, serving with the New Zealand Division, and there he joined the Diggers’ Concert Party, of which he had charge during its period in Germany. He studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music, and with Mr Plunket Greene and Mr Spencer Clay, in London. He commenced singing at picture theatres in Brisbane and Sydney in 1922, and subsequently performed roles in the “Messiah” and the “Elijah,” for the Sydney Philharmonic Society. In 1924 he toured the East with the Westminster Glee Singers, and after touring South Africa, he sang at the Wembley Exhibition for four months, rendering Maori songs, and he also appeared at Buckingham Palace. At that time he

made 100 tours around London hospitals.' He started recording while in London, and also sang for the 8.8. C. Back in New Zealand, Mr McKinlay sang the tenor solo in the “Messiah,” which was 5 presented throughout the country, and he added to his repertoire of Maori songs at Rotorua. He then returned to Sydney, where he made further records. Joining up again with the Westminster Glee Singers, he toured Canada, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. In 1930 he made a tour of New Zealand with the singers, and again toured the East. In 1932 he returned to Australia, and subsequently toured New Zealand under contract to the National Broadcasting Service.