MISS AMY MURPHY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 489, 23 April 1909, Page 3

MISS AMY MURPHY.

■'■■ Writing from Sydney to the "Otago .Witness," ".Naida" says: Dunedin is true to her old favourites, especially .when they are besides of "her own .growing," so we are sure of finding a ready welcome for a chat on paper with Miss Amy/Murphy.; Miss Murphy arrived in; Sydney- at Christmas, just, in time to undertake, the soprano solos in "Elijah,": ,which was given earlier than usual this year to/celebrate Mendelssohn's centenary. "I deemed it a high honour," said Miss Murphy, "to take the solos amid such surroundings. The, whole of the Town Hall was-packod, and ■yet. so 'rapt : was the attention that every word, of; the unaccompanied pianissimo pas-, sages was heard. :The chorus work was a revelation, and the orchestral-work under; the leadership of. Mr, Bradley,' who has lately come from England, and who conducted throughout without a score, left nothing to be desired. : v lihtroduced my musical career here by .'a song recital, for which.l chose a programme after,my own heart.'. Among the numbers were the:' Mad Scene from "Hamlet"' and-Jenny Lind's famous Norwegian 'Echo Song, 1 which had not been sung in Australia'before." .' . ■Wo saw,'the, newspaper reports of this'recital; and they were most gratifying. . The "Sydney. Herald" : wrote: — '.'The, flexible, quality and brilliant resonance of.the singer's ;voioo' were heard to perfection in the' 'Mad Sceno from "Hamlet. ,| Miss' Murphy also made further successes in Joiiny Lind's Nor-' wcgian 'Echo Soug,' which found in her an artist' competent to tho task of suggesting the beautiful unaccompanied echo passage— a number associated with one of the greatest singers of the last century." Miss Murphy had a triumphal march; through. Gfoulburn. ; She, found .to ; her: embarrassment,-that the newspapers . had boomed her as "Melba's ; future successor,"'and the reception she received,was wildly enthusiastic \: "You should; have heard;" said she, "their excitement and, applause on hearing Mr. Alfred Hill's Maori song,". [And this was before New Zealand' had thought of offering ; the Dreadnought I] . ! vMiss Murphy returns next wcekito Goulburn for their Leidertafel,-and has a full programme 'of .Sydney concert engagements for . tho winter. - v., . Mrs. .Murphy has .taken a! house here, and: numbers among/her many pupils a very pro- ' .mising 'contralto, whom she hopes to bring out later. ,-■'; ! .' .' . -.J.;-....