Broadcast from Allan Jones Concert

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 781, 9 July 1954, Page 7

Broadcast from Allan Jones Concert

PART of the final concert in the Auckland Town Hall of the visiting American _ tenor Allan Jones (left) is to be broadcast on link by the NZBS. Allan Jones first became popular with New Zealand listeners through a single record, one that contained two songs from his film Firefly: "Giannina Mia" and "The Donkey Serenade." Other films in which he has appeared are Show‘boat, The Great Victor Herbert, Everybody Sing, Rose Marie, and the . Marx Brothers’ Night at the Opera. He was born at Scranton, Pennsylvania, the

son of a Welsh coalminer, from whom he inherited a good voice. His vocal lessons began when he was a child) and to earn money for later studies he took a job in his father’s mine. His education was continued at Syracuse University and New York University, after’ which he trained under good teachers in Paris. He returned home and became soloist with the New York. Philharmonic Orchestra, then toured as an oratorio soloist and concert recitalist. In 1929 the Shubert brothers, American leaders in the field of light opera, gave him a five-year contract. He appeared in 30 operettas in three years, before beginning work in films in 1935. He was married in 1936 and has ‘three children. Since the war he has toured in England and sang in the Cole Parter show Guys and Dolls in America. He is accompanied on his New Zealand tour by the Wellington pianist Finlay Robb.