FORMER CONCERT SINGER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26348, 31 December 1946, Page 3

FORMER CONCERT SINGER

DEATH OF MRS FLORENCE RIGHTON The death occurred at York Bay, Wellington, recently of Mrs Florence Righton, widow of Mr E. G. Righton, one of the pioneers and leading figures in the cinema v/orld of New Zealand. Mrs Righton had a distinguished career in England as an opera and concert singer, under the name of Florence Hayward. Her name was a household word in England and Scotland, as she was associated with what was possibly the first great song hit of the times, " Dear Love, Come Back to Me,” written and composed by her brother, Charles Flavall Hayward. Mrs Righton was also one of the original members ot ‘ The Brescians,” a musical combination whose members were drawn from the ranks of the Carl Rosa Grand Opera Company. ” The Brescians ” toured New Zealand about 50 years ago. Their members were drawn from the families of Hayward and Martinengo. The late Mr Henry Hayward, of Auckland, was manager. On the formation of Hayward’s Pictures in New Zealand, Mrs Righton took a leading part in the general management of the business. After her retirement from active business she became a member of the Film Censorship Appeal Board. In latter years her main Interests were in the development of her garden at York Bay, which won the Bledisloe Prize, and was for many years a treasure-ground for horticultural enthusiasts.