ALFRED O’SHEA

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 568, 22 January 1929, Page 14

ALFRED O’SHEA

FAMOUS IRISH TENOR Alfred O’Shea, the great Irish tenor who will make a welcome reappearance at the Auckland Town liall next month, was for some years on the Italian grand opera stage. His magnificent voice and stage presence have made him famous as an opera singer, but he always includes on his programmes, beside the operatic arias, some of the old sweet songs of Ireland.

A recent recital in Sydney was reported thus: “Coates’s ‘Fairy Tales of Ireland' brought out a beautiful quality of pathos and richness of tone that proclaimed the artist to be in the front rank of world’s singers to-day. *1 Hear a Trust at Eve’ (Cadman) was a number eminently suited to the tenor, who, in the softer passages, was just as * excellent as when singing fortissimo. Several other items were beautifully rendered, including ‘The Low-backed Car,’ ‘A Dream,’ ‘Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms,’ ‘Macushla’ (in which Mr. O’Shea’s wonderful mezzo voice tones were shown in their most beautiful quality) and ‘Ben Bolt/ the sweet, sad, old English song that everyone knows.”

Four concerts will be given in Auckland commencing on Saturday, February 2.

“Big Boy,” clever four-year-old comedian, frolics on board one of Uncle Sam’s big battleships in his most recent educational comedy, “Navy Beans.” It is said to be one of the youngster’s funniest pictures.