MISS ROSINA BUCKMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1922, Page 6

MISS ROSINA BUCKMAN.

SOME IMPRESSIONS. AN “AU REVOIR” INTERVIEW. “My reception throughout hae been wonderful, and the people have treated me royally all the way through.” These were Miss Rosiua Buckman’s words shortly before she left for Hawera yesterday, spoken with obvknis sincerity. Miss Buckman has come and gone, come at the height of her career, and few there will be who can recall such a feast of song- as she gave to New Plymouth. New Zealand has been proud of her distinguished daughter, as Miss Buckman is proud of being a New Zealander. In an interval between lunch and the completion of her packing preparatory to leaving yesterday, Miss Buckman was good enough to accord an interview to a Daily News reporter. Her husband, Mr. Maurice D’Oisly, was there for a moment, and, if it be that to Miss Buckman must be accorded the feminine last word, to Mr. D’Oisly must be given the first, for probably no better tribute been paid to New Zealand.

“I think the country is wonderful, I really do,” said Mr. D’Oisly. “I think it should be placed under an artistic directorate and made into the world’s garden. You can say all the nice things yon like about it and put them down to me!” Miss Buckman agreed with her gifted husband, and then gave the reporter some details of her career. “I left New Plymouth ten years ago,” she eaid. “Before that I had had some experience in opera and concerts in Australia in Mad-. ame Melba's company, and had toured with John Cormack. It was ten years ago last month since I left for England, and a few months after my arrival I appeared at Covent Garden with Melba and Caruso. Then the war broke out, and this set me back a little, but I work- ' ed hand and got into Engish opera, gain--1 ing great success with Sir Thomas Beecham. I have sung at all the important concerts in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, under the greatest conductors and with the finest orchestras” Questioned as to the conservatorium at which she h-ad studied, Mies Buckman said that she had never studied at a conservatorium, but she had been under Granville Bantock while a school girl in Birmingham. She had then come home tc/ New Zealand, where she made her first appearance in opera in Alfred Hill’s New Zealand production “The Moorish Maid.” On the subject of her plans for the future, Miss BmJkman said that these had been upset because the present tour had taken longer than they had expected. “We are booked for a tour of England and Italy,” the prima donn-a continued, “and are going, to Australia on the 11th by the Niagara. After we finish our concerts there we are coming back to New Zealand to finish the New Zealand, tour, and give one or two farev. ell concerts before leaving for America and England. My cold prevented me from giving a few concerts, and we want to sing at these places again before we leave.” “New Plymouth has grown wonderfully, more so than any place in New Zealand, except perhaps Invercargill, where I noticed a very big change,” Miss Buckman said, in response to an inquiry as to whether she noticed much change in the town as compared with the position of ten years ago . But here she struck a tender note. “I am brokenhearted about Paritutu. Can’t they get the material elsewhere?” Mr. D’Ojsly was equally emphatic about Paritutu, and so was Mr. Kahn. “It is a sacrilege to break up such a landmark,” said the latter. Miss Buckman expressed a hope that the erection of a theatre or a town hall would not be delayed. Her reception had been wonderful, and the audience on Monday night had been simply delightful. She hoped to come back again. As stated above, Miss Buckman and her party left yesterday afternoon for Hawera, and to-day they will leave there for Rotorua for a week’s rest prior to leaving for Australia.