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Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 156, 22 September 1927, Page 16

The services of Miss Alma McGruer, as soprano soloist, have been secured by the Auckland Choral Society for their forthcoming presentation of Weber’s Mass in G.

Miss Naomi Whalley, who ss.ng the soprano solos in “The Creation” for the Auckland Choral Society, has been engaged by the Napier Choral Society to sing in their presentation of “Merrie .England.’*

Among the tributes handed to Mr. Joseph Hislop, the great tenor, at his first concert in Sydney, were a laurel wreath from the Royal Philharmonic Society, and a huge model of a fish, upon which was the inscription * To the whitest man we know, from every soul on the steamer Moldavia.” Mr. Hislop was a passenger to Australia on that vessel.

‘‘A fine foundation in studying the art of singing is literally everything. Thousands of pupils are so impatient and often so conceited that they attempt to launch themselves on a longsuffering world years before they have taken time to make sufficient preparation.” In an interview Tito Schipa, the great tenor, says that he had nothing but exercises for six and aha'lf years. He also says: ‘Students at the present day want to launch themselves after one year’s study.”

Two old favourites, “The Arcadians” and ‘‘A Runaway Girl,” have recently been produced at Hawera and New Plymouth respectively. The former production was handled by Mr. Theo Trezise and the latter by Mr. Fred Reade Wauchope. “Res Cloches de Cornevillo” was recently produced at Kltham by Messrs. Owen Cardston and J. Davidson Baxter. The Opotiki Society is rehearsing “The Country Girl.**

Mattia Battistini, the eminent Ital-. lan baritone now in his 70th year, recently gave a concert in Rome in which his songs included the ancient and modern, the serious and burlesque. These he delivered with a spirit and vigour, a marvellous finish of style, and a velvety quality of voice, all of which would have been the despair of the young singer, and which “threw his heare.rs into a state of delirious excitement.”

Mr. William Gemmell, conductor of tho Beresford Street Congregational Church Choir, which was successful in winning the champion choir shield at the recent Competitions, has had a varied experience in musical work. As a boy he played the flugel horn in a well-known Scottish band, later winning the championship of Scotland for that instrument. He also participated in several international contests and studied under John Gladney, Ord Hume, Rimmer and Short. Later Mr. Gemmell took up singing and had already won two gold medals when he attained the age of 18. Coming to New Zealand he was appointed conductor of the Trinity Methodist Church, Dunedin, afterwards taking charge of the Moray Place Congregational Choir. In addition to winning 25 gold medals at New Zealand competitions, Mr. Gemmell has won the Begg Challenge Shield on two occasions and als o the open vocal championship of New Zealand.