MADAME CLARA BUTT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 182, 23 July 1908, Page 4

MADAME CLARA BUTT.

HER VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. SOME IMPRESSIONS.

London, Julv 7. Madame Clara Butt, savs a' wellknown Society weekly, smiling, gracious, and "divinely tall," and her husband, Mr. Kennerly liumford, bronzed by Southern situs, but still as fresh and debonair as ever, arrived at Tilbury dock yesterday morning by the P. and 0. steamer Mongolia, after a highly successful tour.

Seen just before landing, both singers expressed themselves thoroughly satislied and delighted with their trip. There was nothing they could say sufficiently flattering about their Antipodean admirers.

" Musical taste in Australia and New Zealand," said Mr. Rumford, "is at a very high level, and the audiences alike in the large and small towns demand that we should give of our best. So pleased did they seem with our response to this invitation, that we found it difficult to get away at all." In reply to other questions Mr. Rumford stated that instead of giving i's concerts, which was their original intention, they gave 72. They had quite a royal progress through the continent, and were everywhere received by the civic authorities and banquctted at town halls. Arriving at quite a small town at half-past eleven one night they found their -hotel brilliantly illuminated and a torchlight procession waiting to conduct them to their quarters. Musical taste in Australia was quite equal to thaj, in the Old Country, he said. The choice items, both of his wife's repertoire and his own, were demanded again and again. Madame's rendering .of " The Lost Chord " and " Abide with Me" were always enthusiastically received, for Australian audiences, like those at Home, are fond of a simple theme. But their taste does not stop there. Madame Clara Butt received equal praise when giving Gluck's "Divinites du Styx " and Saint Saens "Mon C'oeur s'ouvre a la voix."

As to his own share in the performance, perhaps the "Four Serious Songs" of Brahms proved the greatest success. But tlie biggest novelty was a Maori song written especially for him by a New Zealander. It describes the liaka, which is the national dance. This song will be included in the programme when they make their reappearance at the Royal Albert Hall on June 27th. They found the Maoris an excedingly courteous and interesting people. When they stayed at Wanganui the Maoris gave a special dance in their honour—one of the most pleasing tributes they received on their tour.

In addition to singing at their ordinary concerts, said Madame Butt, their services were requisitioned at private houses, receptions, garden parties, and all kinds of other functions. They also gave two concerts for the poor of Sydney" and Melbourne, and each of these netted £OOO. Even on the voyage home tliey were often called on to oblige. There was a fancy dress ball on the boat a few days back, and she and her husband took first prize. What struck them most in Australia was its enormous size compared with the number of its population. It is difficult to believe that a spacious continent like that lias fewer people than London. But the fact is borne forcibly in upon one when travelling through mile after mile of uninterrupted bush. As to its people, they make the most appreciative aulienec in the world. Madame Melba made them a very graceful tribute during their stay in her native country. After one of their concerts she entertained them to supper, when the llowers used for the table decorations displayed their respective initials ''C.B." and "K.R." . Altogether the net profits of the tour amoifflt to something like C 50.000.