BURSARY GRANTED
MUSICAL STUDIES EX-SERVICEMAN RECIPIENT An experiment which will he watched with considerable interest in Dominion musical circles is the award made by the Rehabilitation Department to the young New Zealand baritone, Mr William Clothier, of a full-time bursary in music and singing. The bursary is unique, says the Department, in that it is the first time such facilities have been extended by the board to a singer with operatic ambitions to study his profession in New Zealand. Mr Clothier’s present studies in Wellington occupy about ten hours a day, and include the theory of music, appreciation of music, piano, and the French, German and Italian languages. When his voice is fully developed he hopes to make the grade in opera, his chief goals being the Covent Garden Opera House in London, and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
His career commences with the encouraging recommendations of two famous singers, Peter Dawson and Todd Duncan. After hearing Mr Clothier, Peter Dawson was firmly of the opinion that, given his chance to study for a period of years, he would develop into an artist of international standing. “His is a voice of rare quality in richness, power, and range,” wrote Mr Dawson. “The timbre is definitely of operatic calibre; and I know that up to now New . Zealand has never had a voice of such possibilities.” Similar encouragement was received by Mr Clothier from Todd Duncan, who said: “His is a distinctive voice, indeed, rich and full in quality, splendid range and enormous timbre and ring.”
Mr Clothier was educated at the Napier Boys’ .High School,, and is a member of a well-known Hawke’s Bay Rugby family. He has held the positions “of club captain of the Napier High School Old Boys’ Football Club, captain of various Army teams while overseas, Basketball Association president, and an executive member in swimming, tennis, and athletic circles. At the moment Mr Clothier is being trained by Mr Thomas Wood, of Wellington.
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 36, 4 June 1947, Page 6
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329BURSARY GRANTED Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 36, 4 June 1947, Page 6
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