A NEW STAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2103, 16 March 1920, Page 3

A NEW STAR.

It will he interesting lo our read-, ers, and those who had the pleasure of listening to the young girl, Miss Myra, Sawyer, who caused such a sensation at one of the churches at Foxton during Christmas Week, in her singing of .the recif, “And God said,” and the great air, “With Verdure Clad,” from Hayden’s “Creation,” to learn some thing more of her. Many enquiries were made at the time as to tiie identity of the singer, and it was confidently prophesied that great thing's would someday be heard of such a mere child with a voice of such surprising power and beauty. •

We have now ascertained that, the I young lady is a daughter of Mr •). j Sawyer, an accomplished • pianist, I well-known in musical circles throughout the Dominion. At a very i early aye it was considered that ] she woidd have a wonderful future < .a;- a new and radiant star in the i musical firmament, ami the develop- i mold of her genius under the best ; training- that can he obtained, .has i surpassed the hopes of oven >Jier most enthusiastie admirers. A number of prominent musical people are i delermined that no effort will be left unsurpassed to ensure that she will ; have the best available p,reparation ' for a great career A lady who is acknowledged' lo be the foremost exponent in the very latest Continental methods of voice training Ims taken up the preliminary finishing- , work almost as a labour of love. As Miss Sawyer has not been allowed to sing in public- during the period of training,'the permission to sing.at the local musical service was rather an exceptional circumstance., although another opportunity of hearing her tuny he granted on her next holiday visit to Foxton at Faster time. At the early age of 7 years sho Mirprised her friends with tin l singing of Handers soprano airs, and when 10 years old she won the gold medal for singing at Wellington Col lege, where she is now finishing liei education. One of the most curious phases of musical fame is in. the idea that foreign singers can always overshadow those of oar supposedly colder temperament, quite overlooking (he wonderful triumph of our Australian .Melba. Me are wonderfully apt to suggest limitations when genius is located in a comparatively :-.mall community. It was therefore considered advisable some white ag ; that the best Australian and New Fen land musical critics should 'he consulted. Miss Sawyer was given M>im; very exceptional voice tests, and quite a sensation was created on each occasion. Mr Christian Hellernmn, conductor of the Koval Choral Society, said she had a divine voice with immense possibilities. Another critic described Her voice its having the pare and lovely lone ol Jenny Lind, ami .llnit tier singing of “Nightingale”- was « glorious rove-, lalion. She trilled on top C in alt. like a bird; in fact, one lady who w;ts present declared that, like Adelina Patti, “she was the envy of the lards.” In tael; it is easier for her to sing than to speak. , Madame Pope-Dowsing, the famous teacher of elocution and singing, is of opinion that 'Miss Myra Sawyer is destined to become one of the really great singers of the world. Madame accompanied this gifted girl in (lie singing of GoMnod’s “U Legere Ilirondtflle,” and was quite overcome with her wonderful singing, asking her to sing it again, and declaring that only a Melba or Patti could sing it so. Miss Sawyer’s voice has a'range of three octaves, and she can sing up to F in ait. with the greatest ease, and has the rare endowment of being able to render the most exacting items without apparent effort. It is not only that she sings the most difficult operatic selections with dramatic fervour and wistful appeal, but she can stir the emotions with the beautiful old songs such as "Home, Sweet Home,” “Last Rose of Summer,” “Kathlceji Mavgur-. neen, “Kate Kearney,” “0, Lord of My Fathers,” “Ever of Thee,” etc., creating new wonders of expression in the cadences of the wellloved airs of our childhood’s days. On the last visit of Mddle. Antonia Dolores to these shores, some musical friends asked the great soprano if she would care to hear a new singer, and when she very graciously agreed, an occasion was made at the close of one of her recitals at the Grand Opera House for Miss Sawyer to attend. As the voice of the young girl rang out and idled the big hull, the great singer was delighted, and at the finish kissed her, and told her that she was wonderfully gifted, not only wild a glorious voice, but with a beauty of > face and figure which could not fail (o command success. She also , hoped that she would hear great , things of this girl singer _in the : future. ; It is intended that Miss Sawyer 1 will go-to Europe later on to eon- . tiune her musical studies under the best French and Italian masters. " g .. ■