WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 64

WING WHISPERS.

By

Peter Pan.

WELLINGTON, September 25. Dear “ Pasquin,”—Jan Kubelik, the eminent violinist, has arrived in Wellington, and is to give his first New Zealand recital in the Town Hall on Saturday night, with two following concerts on Wednesday next, and Saturday, October 4. Though suffering from a cold (which prevented him from attending the concert last evening by the Chamber Music Players), Kubelik is recovering, and is to be received by the Wellington musicians to-night at a welcoming function. Wellington music-lovers are all agog at the promise of Kubelik’s playing. The newly-formed Apollo Company of male singers made its first appearance in the Concert Chamber on Saturday evening, under the baton of Mr H. Temple White. The dispensers of harmony number some 20, and their vocal work is a real treat. A little healthy competition in music’s cause will help a lot, and while comparisons are always odious, it is owing to the little company to state that it ranks high among the local organisations. Saturday’s debut augurs well for the success of the Apollo Singers’ next concert, to be given in December. Grouped round a grand piano on the stage, the party looks comfortable and homely: Gounod’s “ Hymn to Apollo ” opened the programme most appropriately, followed by “ Sylvia,” by- Oley Speaks. • Rossini’s “ Moses in Egypt ” excerpt, “ To Thee, Great Lord,” was delightfully sung, also the old English madrigal, “ Now is the Month of Maying.” Other numbers drew insistent recalls, and the evening passed off most entertainingly. Mr W. Billington, at the piano, was a tower of strength. The assisting vocalist was Miss Myra Sawyer, soprano, who sang “ Shadow Song,” from Meyerbeer’s “ Dinorah,” and “Adrift,” from GranvilfeBantock’s “ Songs of the Chinese.” Mr Ernest Jenner provided, for many, the greatest musical treat of the evening. He played Rummel’s transcription of Bach’s church cantata, “My Believing Heart, Rejoice, Sing, and Make Merry,” giving a. brilliant exposition of his talents as a pianist. Ravel’s fascinating “ Jeux d’Eau,” and a number of encore pieces further enamoured his listeners. His masterful playing Was an outstanding feature of an enjoyable night. Mr Jenner, who is an A.R.A.M., was judge of the pianoforte section at the recent Wellington Competitions; he has appeared with success in London—as solo pianist at Queen’s Hall, ■with the Sir Henry Wood Orchestra. A fine performance of chamber music was given by the Wellington players last evening, before vice-Re"al patronage. The programme embraced Schumann (Quintet in E flat, Opus 44); Mozart (Quartet in B flat) ; Brahms (famous horn trio in E flat, Opus 40). These three classical masterpieces were beautifully performed. Mr Leon de Mauny was leader, and Messrs Frank Crowther, Desmond Lavin, Claude Tanner, and Madame de Mauny (at the piano), rose to great heights in their solo work. Madame de Mauny, her husband, and Mr Tanner were at their best in the Brahms trio, a delightful finish to the programme.

Clem Dawe and the Williamson-White-Edgley Musical Comedy Company playing “ Hold Everything ” are having a good season at the Grand Opera House, where the boxing burlesque is attracting much notice. The comedy of Clem Dawe, the idol of all floors of the house, is excellently done; it is frivolous, delicious fooling, and the young Lancashire lad takes all with him in his role as boxer winning his fight on a horseshoe ticket. The rest of the cast acquit themselves well. The season closes on Saturday afternoon.

Wellington’s’ new Musical Comedy and Dramatic Society is making its debut in the Concert Chamber on Saturday night—an inauspicious date for an opening, as Kubelik will be playing his peerless music in the big Town Hall at the same time. However, the promoters are nothing if not optimistic. They are putting on an excellent bill of fare; Mr Devitt, who has produced several successful amateur productions in Wellington, is in charge of the ballet and dancing work. An especially strong chorus and ballet have been m active rehearsal for some time past. Many talented amateurs are taking part, including Misses Kathleen Ferris, Kathryn Murie. Wanda Herbert, Messrs Asshendon Harbord, Robert Charlton, Cyril Tilley, and others. The production for Saturday is attractively titled—■“ Look Who’s Here ” revue. Mr H. F. Wood has been elected president of the Wellington Operatic Society, and Mr J. F. Woodward musical director. Mr H. Brusey will be deputy musical director, and Miss Mary Lennie pianist. Mr W. A. Jameson, secretary, has been appointed to see and approve of the Auckland Society’s production, “Tutankhamen,” being produced in Wellington. A shield for competition among the members has been presented to the society by Mr D. Alexander. -

The Royal Choral Union Society intends presenting “ The Golden Legend ” on October 18, with the following cast of vocalists:—Madame Winnie Fraser, Miss Hilda Chudley, Messrs Alfred Walmsley, and Barry Coney.

DEATH OF WELL-KNOWN • TENOR. George Brooke, the Australian tenor, has died in a hospital at Melbourne, following an operation. Mr Brooke had been associated with Eddie Cahill, pianist, for 16 years, and they had toured the world several times. They were in New Zealand some years ago with the company headed by Ella Shields. They recently returned from a long stay in England, where they had been particularly successful at society functions, and had just opened another concert tour of Australia with several successful concerts at Brisbane when Mr Brooke was taken ill.

NELLIE STEWART SUED. Nellie Stewart, famous Australian actress, was defendant in the District Court at Sydney in an action in which Mary Edwards, artist, of Mount Wilson, claimed £5O in respect of a portrait in oils of “Our Nellie” in the character of Nell Gwynne, which, plaintiff said, had been accepted bi’ defendant. Miss Stewart appeared in court prettily garbed in a dark blue cloak trimmed with red,' carmine skirt, and blue hat with red band.

Plaintiff’s case was that a committee had been formed in Melbourne, with a branch in Sydney, to have the picture painted, and Miss Stewart had told her that if the committee did not accept the picture she w'ould purchase it herself. Plaintiff alleged that defendant had afterwards repudiated her acceptance of the offer of terms. The defence was that there was no contract, and the case was not one of debt.

Mr Shand, to plaintiff: “You knew the committee had been formed to have Miss Stewart’s portrait put in the Art Gallery ? “ Yes.” “ And she was desirous of helping you to get your picture accepted rather than one that was exhibited by a Melbourne artist ? “ Yes.”

“ You knew that Miss Stewart had suffered severe financial difficulties at that period ? ” —“ She mentioned something about that in a letter.” The plaintiff was nonsuited. DONTS FOR SINGERS. Mr George Dodds, a well-known English singing teacher, laid down 10 “ Don’ts ” and one “Do ” .for singers at a summer course in music-teaching held at Oxford recently. These were:— Don’t* try to mend more than one fault at a time. Don’t work for power; work for quality. Don’t work your muscles hard; work your brain. Don’t think of your throat; forget it. Don’t use the throat muscles to get power; you will only produce throat tone. Don’t overuse breath pressure; that is forcing.

Don’t listen when trying to place your tone; judge by feel, not by sound. . Don’t try to. imitate big professional singing by voice production; you will probably only imitate their faults. Don’t forget that the best quality of tone is secured by the minimum of breath that will produce the note.

Don t show your voice off when you sing a song; you will only show your ignorance.

As regards the “ Do,” the aim of all good voice-production study is the formation of an unconscious habit in the correct use of vocal mechanism. Work like a Trojan to form euch a habit, and then forget your voice altogether and sing. You start with unconscious wrong, you come with training to conscious wrong. You go further to conscious right, and then on to unconscious right. . There is a theory that people should sing as they speak, Mr Dodds continued. It is the truth, but not the whole truth. The chief thing against it is that the voice is more fundamental than the word, since voice comes from nature ami language from man. In other words, the bus js the voice and the passengei- is the word. Therefore those who say we should sing as we speak put the passenger before the bus.

People who sing are the laziest musicians on earth.. Of all people who use music to make a living the singers, as a class, do the least work. They are also usually the most musically ignorant.

“OUTWARD BOUND” AS A TALKIE.

Sutton Vane’s famous play, “ Outward Bound,” whose characters are all “ dead ” persons on a phantom’ ship whose destination is unknown, is to be made into a talkie by Warner Bros. Douglas Fairbanks, jun.J and Helen Chandler will plav the young lovers, while Beryl Mercer, of “ Seven Days’ Leave,” “ Three Live Ghosts,” and other talkies, O. P. Heggie (King Louis of “Vagabond King"), and Montague Love will have important roles.

HUMPHREY BISHOP COMPANY. Despite the pessimistic talk about the death of the theatre, the Humphrey Bishop Company has battled on—and battled successfully.- There was no storm to weather—except the general depression in Australia—for this band of entertainers has never stopped' playing since it left New Zealand some years ago. Mr Bishop’s company played 14 weeks at the J.C.W. Garden Theatre, Adelaide, 12 weeks at the Theatre Royal, Perth, and shorter seasons in the other' big towns of Australia. Before that they toured the East with great success. “ For the past two years we seem to have heard nothing’but wailing about the

fate of the legitimate stage,” said Mr George Rox, advance representative of the company. “We have been told that firstclass stage artists are starving, and that the stage has gone for ever. There is such a thing as suggestion, and all this dismal talk did more to affect the stage than the pictures themselves. Now, however, we are able to use thio suggestion in another direction. During the last four months in England and America there has been a definite return to vaudeville, and the movement has now spread to Australia.”