TO SING IN OPERA

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 162, 29 September 1927, Page 16

TO SING IN OPERA

ASPIRANTS FOR FAME MR. HISLOP’S QUEST Plenty of people want to sing in opera. Few, however ever get the chance to show what they can do. But at Her Majesty’s, Sydney, Mr. Joseph Hislop, the visiting tenor, gave an aud.t.ion to hundreds of budding prima donnas—male and female. He was there to select singers for the coming grand opera season. Tenors, baritones. contraltos and sopranos were there in profusion, with a large and sympathetic audience to encourage them. The applause was always generous. Some of the singers were nervous. Others came forward with a : aunty and assured air and gave emotional renderings of. c lasi seal compositions The accompanist. Mr. Idwal Jenkins, had a busy time. He played a few bars from songs of the sentimental type to the ponderous aria. He has probably never played so many different selection in so short a time. Altogether 201 aspirants for opera honours; were down on the programme. Some of them, however, must have had stage fright, for they never appeared. The audience vastly enjoyed the performance, and some really fine singing was heard. Some time next year William Murdoch, the Australian pianist, will return for a season in Australia, and New Zealand. Murdoch is among the

muical celebrities who had early years in Bendigo. For years ho has been recognised as one of the leading pianists of England and of other countries in which standards are high.