MADAME STRATHEARN

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 150, 21 March 1921, Page 7

MADAME STRATHEARN

SINGS FOR LONDON POOR Madame Strathearn, an English vocalist, who served in the khaki forces of the Y.M.C.A. throughout tho war. and who has given six months of her time to the West Ham Central Mission (of London) to aid in the raising of money in New Zealand for the indigent children of London's East' End, gave a “tree and easy" vocal recital nt the Concert Chamber on Saturday evening. Only tho capacity of the hall restricted the size of the audience. Madame Strathearn. in addition to being a robust mezzo of good quality and range, is a racy raconteur who is never at a loss for a good story. illustrative mostly of her experiences os a singer in khaki during the war. After being introduced by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Madame stated that she had entered the service of tho Y.M.C.A. during the second week in August. 1914, and had only been “demobiliserl" in March last. As the result of a visit to the West Ham Mission, in the East End of London she had realised She needs of this great work, and hn«l wondarad how sho could help. They wanted o£3fi,ooo, and to assist in raising it. she Tad offered to give up six months of her time to come to Now Zealand to help in the appeal. The offer had been accepted, and with Sister Kathleen sho had come to New Zealand. Apart from her concerts she had found that people liked to hear what one woman had done at the front. She had sung at all the camps and convalescent hospitals, mentioning Codford and. Brockenhurst among others: she had appeared at the first Y.M.C.A. concert given fp the first New Zealand Reinforcements after their arrival on "tho beautiful Salisbury Plains," and had taken an irfferest in them ever since. Madame Strathearn «ai<l she was a Scottish woman and proud of it. She had found Scotsmen in ovary regiment in the Army- 1 hoy were particularly fond of two songs, Annie I.ourie” at first, hut towards tho end of the war it was "Aly Ain I 1 oik.

Madame commenced her programme with the latter.song. She then obliged, the Irish with “The Hills of Donegal, the Welsh with "Make New Friends but Keep the Old” (Dr. Parry), and tho English with “There’s a Land” (Allitven). But. acceptable as was Madame’s singing, she bos an allied talent that was even more surprising. That is a capacity to imitate the corneti. This mav not seem to be anything very remarkable, but the singular finish, beauty and purity of tone, and the clarity with which she defines each note, or succession of notes, is a performance of artistic fidelity. It is the tone of a soprano cornet, brilliant and sweet, and like no other imitation of that instrument which has been 'heard here. Iler "corneti solos, to which she played her own accompaniment, were "Somewhere a Voice is Calling” and “Killarney." The vocal programme also included the “Ave Mana written on the intermezzo "GayalIqria Rusticana,” "Caller Hetrim 'lf 1 Might Come to You,” "Sleep, Kentucky Babe" (with “cornet” “Friends,” and Tosti’s "Good-bye.” Throughout, Madame Strathearn • played her own accompaniments, and only occa uionally used music. During the evening, Sister Kathleen spoke of the work of the West Ham Cen tral Mission in the poorest quarter of London. She said they knew what New Zealanders ’had done during t]i£ war, and. it'was to ask them to little il-clad under-nourished children who never had a real chance, that they had come from England. TO-NIGHT’S CONCERT. Every returned soldier who was at Etaples will remember Madame Strathearn and the beautiful concerts she used to give to the "Diggers” there. The Wellington R.S.A., having in mind this talented artist’s kindness during the war, have associated themselves with the concert to he given in tho Town Hall tonight. The programme to be rendered will endear itself to all returned soldiers, and it is anticipated that! a large number will attend and take their friends to let them see the sort of programme provided for the boys in France. The concert to-night will be under the distintinguished patronage of His Excellency the Governor-General Viscount Jcllicoe.