For All Her Travels, Florence Austral Is A Home Lover

Radio Record, Volume XI, Issue 1, 10 July 1936, Page 68

For All Her Travels, Florence Austral Is A Home Lover

~ Charming Soprano. Chats ~ With The " Radio’ Record" About Cooking, Sewing . And_ Dieting |

"6 HE-word ‘Home’ seems rather a misnomer sometimes, for we really spend much more time away from our home than in it," remarked Madame Florence Austral, the Australian soprano who last week started her broadcasting tour of the New Zealand national stations. Madame Austral, wife of John Amadio, the celebrated Wellington flautist, is really a home-lover and a homemaker. They own a: lovely property at Hampstead, which’ is ‘sufficiently far ‘from the heart. of London to allow. them "breathing space."

~: This. artistic pair spent many}, months planning out . their . home. Attractive gardens* were laid out, a hard" tennis, court was. prepared, and.a:-large. musi¢-room : was equipped . as ‘ay miniature concert » hall. . Just. as’. everything. was completed. the .two. artists had, to sail for a’ lonig tour’ of America. ~ Madame..Austral-is as adaptable ‘asthe ° average’ colonial... ‘She can enjoy a solid: afternoon’s _ tennis and then, if necessary, prepare a dainty meal or stitch away at some intricate tapestry. Cooking, plain or .fancy sewing, knitting and _ tapestrywork are her favourite hobbies when the weather keeps her, iridoors. A good game of contract bridge is her keenest relaxation. (This is not a hint for New Zealand hostesses. )-

As far as. Madame knows, there was never any musical talent in her family, and: her phenomenal voice "just happened," so to speak. But she confided to the "Radio Record" that her flair for home-making, and especially for cooking, she attributes directly to her mother. Mrs. Fawaz was noted for her cooking, and many of her recipes are to be found in the Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union Cookery Book. As a small girl Florence Austral-then Florence Fawaz-had every opportunity

of. becoming’ an efficient housekeeper, for her mother insisted on her having a.share of preparing and serving the family dinner regularly,-and also making cakes and scones for the week-end. The tasks were not. penalties, for the small Florence was an eager pupil, her only ambition at that time being to shine as a cook and housekeeper. Nowadays with her. staff of trained English maids, Madame ‘Ausiral still insists on making all the special "tit-bits" when ‘she gives a dinner party at her London home, and she admitted that she still got:a thrill.when experimenting

with new recipes. Madame Austral’s tapestry work is another congenial and useful .pursuit, and it is the rule rather than the exception for the singer to occupy herself stitching at a piece of tapestry in between her items at a concert. It is some years since she started working panels for a special suite in her home. Nine chair panels and the cover for a music-stool have been completed. "Expensive simplicity" is the keynote of the evening’ gowns worn by this golden-voiced. soprano. Madame express‘ed the opinion. that. overdecoration in the matter of adornments is’ avoided , overseas nowadays. Her colour creed is to "Wear what suits you," even. if those colours don’t happén to: be fashionable: at ‘the moment. Because Ma-

tee _. . dame Austral ‘herself is very fair, she finds that many. folk. take it for granted that black would be favoured by her for evening wear. But, in fact, her preference is for: white. One of her black ‘gowns is a model fashioned of georgette, a skirt finished with long flares just touching the floor in front and ending in‘a short train at'the back. Touches of colour are lent. by’ turquoise-blue embroideries outlining a flesh-colqured georgette vest, the embroideries *continuing. (Cont. on-next page.)

(Continned from previous page.) down the sides and ending in large appliqued posies of pink ‘roses and foliage. Her other black concert gown is fashioned of velvet cut on simple lines. Another of her "platform dresses" igs a cherry-red novelty .velvet embroidered jn gold thread. A favourite coficert gown during the Australian tour was a white moire cut on long, simple lines, the corsage very high in front and cut well away at the back Several of Madame Austral’s day frocks are fashioned of flat crepe and ornamented with touches of fyr. One ensemble consists of shtimp-pink georgette with a Parisienne coat of fiat crepe; in the same tone, the cape and revers being finished with beige fur. Two fur coats-a gorgeous evexing one of ermine and a Russian sable for the day-are calculated to aropuve many envious "Oohs" and "Ahs" freq tMfose women who see them,