OPERATIC

Radio Record, 19 August 1938, Page 10

OPERATIC

NEW SOCIETY FOR CHRISTCHURCH mete GINCE Christchurch last had an operatic society all to itself, much water has flown under the Avon bridges. Now attention is being focused on light opera again by the formation of a new amateur operatic society. The ground-work — choosing of chorus, voices, easting-and all the routine matters that have to be de cided, ig in the hands of a keen committee. Applications for performing membership have poured in to the musical director, Mr. Len Barnes. And in Len Barnes, who is a well-known radio baritone, the society will have an €x-

cellent director-cupable "and. -ever willing to help and to teach-but n°. nonsense, please. His career has many highlights. A good many years ago he stood outside the door of the Christchurch Cathedral. tower, waiting to have his voice tried. He became a boy chorister, and then 4 lay-clerk in the choir, but after a few years’ choir work, business took him to’ a job in a Wellington film exchange. The outside world appealed, and he found bimself studying music in Sau Frantisco, and earning his living by singing. He did broadcast. in the States in 1919, when radio, even in America, was in its comparative in-. fancy. . London was the next port of call, for further study, operatic and concert platform work and an engagement with the BBC. Home again to New Zealand. in 1923, and since then he has sung for practically every choral society from Auckland to Dunedin, and conducted countless musical bodies. For some time he was station director of 1YA, and, for four years, conducted the 1YA_ broadcasting choir. : . Associated with him in the new society will be two highly experienced hands-Stan Lawson, producer, and Miss Ray Powell. training the ballet. The first production? The evergreen "Belle of New York," in the St. James’ Theatre, Christchurch, at ‘the end of . October. .