MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1569, 12 October 1912, Page 9

MUSIC.

fliy TitEBLE Clef.T Coming Next Month. There has been some doubt as to when Madame Kirkby Lunn would bo coming to New Zealand, and tho prospective dates havo been cancelled once owing'to an alteration in tho torn. Definite advico has now becii received that Madame Lunn is to commence her tour of New Zealnnd at Aueklalid on No> ember 25, and will give three concerts in that city. Sho is altJ ta give tnre-. concerts in Wellington, commencing December 2, and afterwards will givo ono concert each in iVapier and Wauganui, from which places strong representations have been made for it visit. Only three towns are to Iμ visited in the South Island—Christchurch, Timaru, and Dunedin. A few months ago Timaru was out of the question, but the erection of a new theatre has made it a possible town for the l>ost attractions, providing the time can be spared. Invcrcargill, too, may yet be considered. A Massenet Incident, The death of Jules Massenet recalls an incident in the career of the lato Sir Augustus Harris, who was for a timo tile Lorenzo the Magnificent of opera in London.

' Ono who knew tho French composer and the big London manager writes:— "I think Massenet's last appearance in England was on the occasion, of the production of 'Tα Nararraise,' at Covent Garden. Under official instructions a new bell was 'struck' for a low F sharp at a cost of .£l3O. When tho first rehearsal came, it was discovered that it was a little too sharp, , and Sir -Augustus shouted out: 'Take it away, Collins, and order another bell.' The French author, Henri Cain, and tho composer were loud in their admiration of. a great directeur, who would go to such expense for so small a' detail. Tho dress rehearsal caine, and tho band (through insufficient rehearsal) were rather ragged—Flon, tho conductor, protesting loudly. A babe! of Frencli artists and others demanded an extra rehearsal. 'Impossible,' said the impresario; 'it would cost 35 guineas'—working out the band of 70 at half a guinea. It was so liko Gus Harris to spend ;Jil3fl on a new bell and then refuse to pay 30 guineas for an extra band rehearsal!' Woman Who Wrote the "Lost Chord." Madame Kirkby Lunn sang Sir Arthur Sullivan's musical setting of Adelaide Procter's poem—"A Lost Chord"—during her Sydney series of concerts. The composer made the song'"The Lost Chord." Adelaide Anne Procter wae the oldest daughter of Bryan Waller Procter, a poet; who wrote under tho naino of

"Barry Cornwall, , " and was an associalo of Tom Moore, and other literary celebrities. Miss Procter 'counted Charles Dickens among her personal friends. Tho great novelist paid a tribute to tho manifold benevolent activities of tho woman who wroto "Tho Lost Chord":— "Cheerfulness was habitual with her; sho was very ready with a sally or a reply, and in her laugh (as I remember well) thero was an unusual vivacily, enjoyment, mid sense of drollery. She was perfectly unconstrained and unall'ecfed, as modestly silent about her productions as she was gcnei-oiis with their peciininry results. She was a friend who inspired the strongest, attachments, n finely-sym-pathetic woman, with a greal an-.irdaiit heart and ii sterling noble nature. Always impelled by an intense convielion that herlifeniust nol he dreamed away, and that her indulgence in her fiivmiritu pursuit must 'bo biilnnced by action in iho real world iirniinil her, <-\\t< was indefatigable in her efforts li> do good. Naturally enthusiastic and conscientiousIy impressed with , n deep senso of her Chri-iliiiii duly to her neighbour, she devoleil herself to n varielv uf beni'voleiil objects. Now it was tile visilation of tho sick; now it. was the shelleriiii; of the homeless; miw, it was Hie eleiuelllury teaching of Iho densely ignorant ;• now it was the raising up of lliom. who had wondered and got trodden under font; now it wns the wider employment of her own -sex; now it was all llic>o things at once. Perfectly uii-cllUi, swill lo sympathise, and eager In relieve, she wrought, out such designs with n flushed eariieslness thai ilisri'tsHi-il.-il seasiiii, w.uitlier, time of dny in- nighl, fond, ivsl." Notes, Tho eoiir-ci-t cilili(.u "I' Ili/el's o|»'ni. "Carmen," lu be sling liv Ihe Kuynl Wellinglnn Choral S.iriely iiesl seiiMin, has

iiooii arniiiu'oil by 11 err Kmil Ivreiiz, ouo of die coniluelur's of Hie Iliwliani Opera Couil y, which played at Cnvenl (tardea two years ago.