MARIE NARELLE, the Queen of Irish Song

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 3, 17 January 1907, Page 19

MARIE NARELLE, the Queen of Irish Song

Marie Narelle.has had- something like a triumphal procession through New Zealand." " For the , Western:'.Celt, a musical event of first-class importance has. been -the advent of this -ravenrhaired, blue-^eyed Irish*Australian colleen. With' a versatility sthat5 that is so rare as .to be a treasure, she can ~ melt "to tears with her " 1 Come "Bacß~to Urin ''; she can "move to the most dia-."; phragin-shakirig laughter with, the inimitable drollery of her ' Low-backed Car '- and her ' Rory O'More,' and her "Barney O'Hea ' ; and with her ' O'DonneH Abob' ' and" her ' God Save Ireland, 1 she can rouse to martial ardor till her audience almost fancy they can hear the tramp of armed men and the clang of .sword on shield in battle. We .care little who writes, our country's ballads, so long as Marie Narellc sings them. We, have in the Colony two Irish Delegates from ..the ""Nationalist v Party. Marie Narelle is our third Irish Delegate— tne delegate ' that Sings the wrongs " arid the hopes and tears of Erin into the hearts of tne, people and leads theirs hearts captive, as . the" other delegates lead, captive the minds of New Zealand. She has a full, mel---low soprano, of wondrous power and,- flexibility — a ' soothering ' voice, too - (as people would call .it Jn,._ ; Ireland), and as gentle as a lullaby at times ; but , at times (as in her maitial songs) with the sound-blow of a .mighty bugle Hn it. - And there is more , than mere music — love -and. war and drollery- and notevalues—in her voice. -She sings like a bird, just- be- . cause the Lord God put the music into her ; and she must sing. With her aye associated Mr. Chester Fentress, a tenor of rare sweetness and artistic" ability, and Miss -Brandon-Usher, a pianist of exceptional . talent and consummate musical taste. It is a splendid , combination, and in Dunedin .this week met with ova--^ lion after ovation.