RETURN OF MR WATKIN MILLS

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1573, 2 October 1905, Page 3

RETURN OF MR WATKIN MILLS

MONDAY AND TUESDAY NEXT.

Mr Watkin Mill*, whose rich, fall bass baritone voice has charmed three contin enta, will return to Giaborne on bunday next, after an absence of twelve months. The happiest recollections of the great eiDger have lingered here ever since the delightful conoerts he gave in His Majesty’s Theatre, and hia reappearance in Gisborne will give infinite pleasure to all lovers of music. This timo he comes amongst, us supported by a strong quartet of artists, whose reputations in the old country are a guarantee of the musioal treat that ie in store for concert-goers. Three of them — Miss Edith Kirkwood (soprano), Miss Gertrude Lonsdale (contralto), and Mr Harold Wilde (tenor)—are new to Australasia, bat the pianist, Moas. Eduard Parlovitz, wa3 with Mr Mills on his previous Australasian tour, and his skill as an accompanist and pianoforte soloist won for him a reputation nhioh is still fresh in tho mind of the Australian public. Gisborne people need no introduction to Mr Mills. He introduced himself when be was here before, and he comes this time as an old friend to reap the regard and appreciation which hie talents at that time engendered, Hib versatility as a singer, his rare rendering of old English ballade, his interpretation of oratorio, and his rich bass voice (rangieg fluently over two and a half ootavee) are well remembered by all who have had the pleasure of hearing him. _ , The Melbourne Age says:—“We have often had great musical artistes come out to Australia, but, somehow, we felt their greatness was in the past tense. But Watkin Mills is great now; we have heard | him in his very prime, and what a voice it is 1 At times you think it’s a baritone,and in its higher registers it shows the flexibility of a tenor, and then it goes down, down, until you get a lower B flat like a great bassoon, and every note of full, pure round quality, with never a flaw, never a quover or the least shade of falseness.” The box plans for both conoerts will bo opened by Mr Miller on the stage of His Majesty’s Theatre on Wednesday morning I at 10.