NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN TOUR (1948)

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Pamela Davies who collaborated with me in writing Do You Remember Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth? at the same time as my own book, Sweethearts of Song: A Personal Memoir of Anne Ziegler & Webster Booth (published at the same time by LULU ) was given a scrapbook of Australian and New Zealand press cuttings related to Anne and Webster's tour there  in 1948. Here is the list she compiled for Clare Gleeson, who wrote a book about the Charles Begg company that arranged their  tour of New Zealand. With the aid of this list Clare was able to find some of the original articles in the New Zealand Newspaper Archive and  kindly sent me copies of a few of these.

New Zealand list compiled by

Mrs Pamela Davies,

Pershore,

England.

On the trip to Australia aboard the maiden voyage of the Imperial Star the ship called at various South African ports, so Anne and Webster managed to do two broadcasts each in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. They picked up the ship again in Durban to sail on to Melbourne to meet their Australian accompanist from Adelaide, Clarence Black. Unfortunately their regular accompanist, Charles Forwood, was not in the best of health at this time, so chose not to travel with them on the tour.
     Clarence Black studied piano and organ at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide. When he graduated he became the organist at the Regent Theatre and gave organ recitals each Sunday afternoon. In 1951 he accompanied Peter Dawson (aged 69, but undiminished in voice and personality by advancing age) on his concert tour of Australia.

Broadcasting in Johannesburg.

Arrival in New Zealand 1948 

Preliminary articles, some excessively laudatory (and not always accurate) designed to whet NZ audiences' appetites

Timaru Herald/10/2/48

Wanganui Herald/11/2/48

NZ Truth 5/5/48 + photo, leaving Liverpool

New Zealand Truth

5 May 1948

WORLD FAME:  Attractive looking pair Ann Ziegler and her husband Webster Booth are known by their voices in every home possessing a radio. New Zealanders will shortly have the opportunity of seeing them in the flesh, for they are already headed for a tour of the Dominion. They are about to set sail from Liverpool with South Africa as their first port of call.

Dominion (Wellington)/19/5/48

The Dominion

19 May 1948

TWO ENGLISH SINGERS DUE NEXT MONTH

Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler shortly due in New Zealand will make their first appearance at the Town Hall on June 1 and 2. These two stars who have achieved popularity through their contributions to light opera, musical comedy, screen and radio entertainment are assured of a warm welcome in this country as apart from their value as entertainers there is always a certain curiosity as to their personalities.
     Booth after leaving school was a clerk in a firm of Birmingham accountants.  Before this he had sung in the choir of Lincoln Cathedral.  His pleasing alto voice changed to tenor and after seeing the possibilities at the professional stage he applied for an audition, was given one and passed through the ranks as a tenor in England and Canada.
     Miss Ziegler has been known to the public since early childhood.  She actually gave a recital in London while still in her teens*. At one stage she was one of the best known of principal “boys” in pantomime in the provinces and crossed the Atlantic to play a leading part in the musical comedy Virginia.

*This section is completely inaccurate. She was not known to the public in her childhood and gave a singing recital at the Wigmore Hall, London when she was twenty-three years of age.

Webster went on to oratorio under Dr Malcolm Sargent with the Huddersfield Choir and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. His career has been almost meteoric.

NZ Tablet 26/5/48 + Laughing Lady photo

Otago Daily Times/26/5/48 + Laughing Lady photo

Otago Daily Times

26 May 1948

SINGING DUO

TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH

Two of the most popular British singers, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, are to make a tour of New Zealand in the near future. Established favourites with a world audience through the medium of their broadcasts and recordings, they are also well known on the British stage and have made appearances in several films, the most recent of which The Laughing Lady has still to be released in this country. Although ranked high as singers of more serious musical forms both artists are equally well known in the realm of musical comedy.

Their partnership commenced with the film version of Faust and their recent stage successes have included a revival of The Vagabond King and a new musical Sweet Yesterday. Oratorio, opera and the concert platform have all been covered by this versatile duo.

NZ Listener 28.5.48 +photo

Nelson Mail 29.5.48+Laughing Lady photo

Oamaru Mail/31.5.48 +Laughing Lady photo

Auckland Herald/29/5/48 Arrival from Sydney

Weekly News/2/6/48+Photo of arrival in Auckland, + list of towns to be visited: Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wanganui, Hastings, Napier, Gisborne, Rotorua, Hamilton, Whangarei, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill, Gore, Oamaru, Christchurch, Blenheim, Cold Lakes district

B Articles and crits on their concerts

Newspaper	Dated	Date and place of concert
Southern Cross (Wellington)	2/6/48	Concert in Town Hall the previous night, and another that night (1st,2nd June)
Dominion (Wellington) Wellington Town Hall	2/6/48	Concert in Town Hall the previous night, and another that night (1st, 2nd June) The Dominion 2 June 1948 Last Night’s Audience Were Enthralled Finally Tonight TOWN HALL 8PM THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WEBSTER BOOTH (Tenor) And ANNE ZIEGLER (Soprano) England’s King and Queen OF SONG With CLARENCE BLACK At the Piano Ballads and Operatic Arias blend- Ed with Gems from Musical Comedy by Artists who “sing and act superbly” and who bring to the Concert Platform the romance and glamour of the Stage and Screen. RESERVES STILL AVAILABLE At Begg’s Today, 8/- and 6/- plus Tax Also DAY SALES AT 8/- plus Tax, And at the Town Hall tonight From 7pm Direction: Begg’s Celebrity Artists Co.
Evening Post	2/6/48	Concert in Town Hall the previous night, and another that night (1st,2nd June) (1st,2nd June) Evening Post 2 June 1948 ENGLISH SINGERS DOMINION OPENING CONCERT A reception as enthusiastic as any seen recently in the Town Hall was accorded the English singers Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, and the Australian pianist Clarence Black when they opened a tour of the Dominion last night.  A large audience was present. The programme, though light in its nature, took added significance and depth from the high standard of the singers, who showed that they have not been acknowledged as experts in the field of musical comedy and light opera for nothing.  Their performance was superb, and owed its quality as much to the personality of the artists as to their singing. Mr Booth has a voice with a range and power which is a rarity indeed for tenors.  His control and inflexion were perfect, even in the extreme registers of his range.  Miss Ziegler revealed herself to be a soprano of high quality.  Her voice was not that of the usual operatic soprano.  At no time did she lose any control over her voice, even in the highest registers, and just as important, at no time did her articulation appear to be any effort to her. Although good individually, the singers reached the heights of achievement in their duets.  Their perfect co-operation is perhaps the secret of their success. This co-operation extended further than time or tone into the more difficult field of mood.  There was always a sympathy which led to a most entrancing result in the music.  This quality was most noticeable in the singers’ signature tune Only a Rose from The Vagabond King a lovely melody which was perhaps as well known as anything else on the programme. The traditional duet The Keys of Heaven was a remarkably good performance and gained its success from the charm and personality of Miss Ziegler and the insouciant humour of Mr Booth. Other singers might have managed the rest of the programme but it was The Keys of Heaven which showed that these came from the top rank of entertainers. Miss Ziegler’s best solo was Huntingdon Woodman’s song A Birthday. Mr Booth’s solos served to impress one further with the quality of his voice and his powers of expression. Mr Black, who showed himself to be a very good accompanist, also played a number of piano items. A further concert will be given tonight.
Dominion (Wellington)	3/6/48	Re cocktail party the previous day, given at 33 Club in their honour attended by WB alone; AZ “indisposed”. The Dominion 3 June 1948 Anne Ziegler Taken Ill : Last Night’s Concert Postponed Because of the sudden illness of Anne Ziegler the Webster Booth-Anne Ziegler concert did not take place last night. Practically every seat in the Town Hall was filled when Mr C A Rendle representing the promoters announced the postponement. Miss Ziegler became ill between 5 and 6 pm. At first it was hoped that the sickness would prove to be a passing one and even the doctor in attendance thought that such might be the case, but after 7pm it was seen that Miss Ziegler was still suffering, and in no condition to make a public appearance.  In these circumstances there was no option but to cancel the concert. Those present were informed that it was hoped the concert would be held on Saturday night next, and all tickets and reserves would be good for that date.  The audience took the announcement in good part. This arrangement has been made possible by the cancellation of the Nelson concert.
Southland Daily News Southland Daily Times	5/6/48	An introductory article.
Evening Post (Wellington)	7/6/48	Re second Wellington concert on Saturday night in the Town Hall. Evening Post 7 June 1948 CAPTIVATING PAIR Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth Of all the celebrity artists to visit New Zealand over the past few years possibly none have had the captivating stage manner so typical of the English singers Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.  At their second Wellington concert presented in the Town Hall on Saturday night, this popular couple shared all their songs with the audience rather than sung to them. Their unselfconscious miming and acting throughout both solos and duets won for them a staunch following among even the more staid concertgoers accustomed to the dignified impersonality of other artists. They opened the programme with the duet Stay, Frederick Stay from The Pirates of Penzance (Sullivan) in which their voices blended perfectly.  There was not one false note among their choice of numbers, every item being of the type for which they are best known. Solos and duets were both received enthusiastically by the audience, but it was in the duets that they were accorded the greatest storm of applause. One of the most popular duets was Deep in My Heart (from The Student Prince) and We’ll Gather Lilacs (from Novello’s Perchance to Dream) as an encore was another success. Their duo programme included The Love Duet (Madame Butterfly), Coward’s I’ll See You Again, Life Begins Anew (Sweet Yesterday) and Laugh at Life from their latest film The Laughing Lady. A medley of ballads which warmed the hearts of older members of the audience comprised Until (Sanderson), Love’s Old Sweet Song (Molloy) I Hear You Calling Me (Marshall) and Two Little Words (Brahe). Miss Ziegler’s first solo was her own arrangement Strauss’s Tales from the Vienna Woods which was superbly sung and she also sang One Fine Day from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Webster Booth sang The English Rose (German) his recording of which is considered one of his best, The Lord’s Prayer and Break of Day from the film Waltz Time. As a climax to their programme and by popular request the two artists presented their own arrangement of the traditional Keys of Heaven. They burlesqued it delightfully and the audience loved it.  As accompanist Clarence Black was sympathetic and never intrusive and his solo items proved so popular that he was recalled to play several encores.
Nelson Evening Mail Nelson School of Music	8/6/48	At the School of Music, last night.
Wanganui Chronicle	10/6/48	Re booking for the forthcoming concert.
Taranaki Daily News Taranaki Herald	11/6/48 11/6/48	Opera House, New Plymouth last night. Opera House, New Plymouth last night.
Manawatu Evening  Standard Palmerston North Opera House	14/6/48	Palmerston North Opera House on Saturday night. Their second and final concert in Palmerston North to be on Tuesday evening.
Manawatu Daily Times	14/6/48	PN Opera House on Saturday night. Their second and final concert in PN to be on Tuesday evening.
Wanganui Herald Wanganui Chronicle Wanganui Opera House	15/6/48 15/6/48	Wanganui Opera House last night. Wanganui Opera House last night.
Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune, Hastings	18/6/48	Municipal Theatre, Hastings last night. To appear in Napier tomorrow night.
Daily Telegraph, Napier Napier Municipal Theatre	21/6/48	Napier Municipal Theatre on Saturday night.
Gisborne Herald	21/6/48	Re talk given today by WB to members of Gisborne Rotary Club, where he complained about the lack of back-stage heating in NZ theatres.
Gisborne Herald	22/6/48	Gisborne Opera House last night.
Rotorua Post Rotorua Post	24/6/48 24/6/48	Municipal Theatre, Rotorua last night. Interview given by WB today. The eleventh concert of their tour, the first concert with back-stage heating at Municipal Theatre, Rotorua.
Waikatu Times, Hamilton	25/6/48	Theatre Royal, Hamilton, last night.
Northern Advocate,  Whangarei Town Hall	29/6/48	Whangarei Town Hall, last night.
Auckland Star	30/6/48	Town Hall, last evening.
Auckland Herald AucklandTown Hall	30/6/48	Town Hall last night, the first of two Auckland concerts.
Auckland Star	2/7/48	Town Hall last evening.
Timaru Herald Theatre Royal, Timaru	6/7/48	Theatre Royal, Timaru, last night.
Invercargill Civic Theatre, Invercargill	6/7/48	Re great demand for tickets for recital on Wednesday, July 14th at Civic Theatre: followed by one at St James Theatre, Gore on Thursday July 15th.
Otago Daily Times	7/7/48	Arrived Dunedin yesterday, an interview on their arrival, and photo of AZ&WB in their hotel lounge.
Evening Star, Dunedin Town Hall, Dunedin	7/7/48	Another interview this morning apparently when WB&AZ were at the Town Hall, inspecting the stage.
Otago Daily Times	8/7/48	Otago Daily Times 8 July 1948 COMMUNITY SING A special attraction at the Sing to be held tomorrow in the Strand Theatre in aid of the Food for Britain campaign will be Mr Clarence Black, pianist and accompanist for Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth.  Donations may be sent to Mr J F Himburg, Charles Begg, who with Mr A J Pettitt will assist Mr M P Desmoulins to lead the singing. Town Hall last night (Dunedin) Otago Daily Times 8 July 1948 CHARMING VOICES ANNE ZIEGLER AND WEBSTER BOOTH EXCELLENT COLLABORATION On the concert stage Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth are a law unto themselves.   Their programme at the Town Hall last night could hardly be described as a vocal recital for their stage technique was a combination of musical comedy and film art. That it had charm and musical qualities was undeniable, for the large audience was attentive and enthusiastic throughout. Anne Ziegler has a pleasant soprano voice which she used without effort, or forcing and she moves about the stage with an easy grace and charm born of habit. Webster Booth has a fine tenor voice with excellent quality and carrying power in his high register and in his singing of The Flower Song from Carmen and The English Rose from Merrie England: FLOWER SONG (CARMEN) he gave a glimpse of what he might do with such a voice had he chosen a more serious musical career. Anne Ziegler’s most serious contribution was They Call Me Mimi from La Bohème. It was, however in the duets that the audience found their greatest pleasure. The collaboration was excellent and though I found their gestures and movements on the stage somewhat meaningless there was a sophisticated charm about their deportment that disarmed criticism. They chatted informally, made jokes with a local flavor and took the audience into their confidence. The response was all that could be expected and the artists frequently expressed their gratitude for the reception they received. The pianist, Mr Clarence Black, was a sympathetic accompanist even to lending a hand with dramatic gestures in the duet The Keys of Heaven:  KEYS OF HEAVEN  He also played two groups of solos with competence and musical feeling.
Evening Star, Dunedin	8.7.48	Town Hall last night (Dunedin)
Invercargill	7/7/48	Article on demand for tickets for “next Wednesday night’s concert”.
Otago Daily Times	9/7/48	Town Hall (Dunedin) last night Otago Daily Times 9 July 1948 FINAL PERFORMANCE OVERSEAS SINGERS AUDIENCE CAPTIVATED Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth captivated the large audience in their appearance at the Town Hall last night.  Once again their duets revealed their greatest audience appeal and their musical comedy numbers, in particular, were received with a spontaneous and enthusiastic applause which compelled them to return to the stage again and again. The Love Duet from Puccini’s Butterfly was their most delightful number in the first half of the programme, the pure tenor and pleasing soprano voices blending perfectly. In One Fine Day after the interval Anne Ziegler again thrilled the listeners. To finish their programme the artist sang a medley of popular ballads. This started a clamour for encores which engaged the singers for some 15 minutes longer than the scheduled programme and the audience persisted in its attempts to recall them even after they had prepared to leave. The pianist, Clarence Black, again proved a sympathetic accompanist and a talented solo performer. .
Evening Star, Dunedin	9/7/48	Town Hall (Dunedin) last night.
The Southend Times	15/7/48	Civic Theatre last night
Southland News	15/7/48	Civic Theatre last night (part of concert broadcast by 4YZ)
Nataura Ensign	16/7/48	St James Theatre last night at Gore.
Christchurch Press	22/7/48	Civic Theatre last evening with 2 further concerts “tonight and tomorrow night”.
Dominium, Wellington	29/7/48	at Wellington Town Hall “farewell recital”.
Evening Post	29/7/48	Re signing autographs for a good cause and handing over a sizeable cheque at their final concert last night.

New Zealand song recorded by Anne and Webster  in 1948:

BLUE SMOKE (RURU KARAITIANA)

TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth were received in Australia with just as much enthusiasm as in New Zealand. Clarence Black, the Australian pianist from Adelaide was their accompanist in Australia. They were guests of honour at countless civic and mayoral receptions throughout the country and Tasmania. Unfortunately Anne lost a valuable diamond ring worth £900 in their suite of Hotel Australia, Sydney. The police were called in and someone sifted through the bags of the vacuum cleaners, but I am not sure whether this ring was ever found.  There were several newspaper photographs of Anne and Webster looking (in vain) for this ring.

Anne and Webster go through their music for one of their Australian performances.

Sydney Town Hall


One of the criticisms in a Sydney newspaper read as follows:

"CONCERT OF SHY KISSES, RAPT GAZES

Love was comprehensively examined in the second programme given by the English singers, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth, at the Town Hall on Saturday night.
It was a programme of pretty bon-bons, the musical equivalents of pink ribbons and silver paper and St Valentine cards.
     The audience was delighted. One difference between this sort of concert and a concert of serious music is that the audience listening to serious music is always deep in frowns and scowls and anguish of soul. The audience for these singers is all smiles - dreamy smiles, sentimental smiles, bitter-sweet smiles, nostalgic smiles. The singers make love sound as if it is made up entirely of honey and roses.
     While most Australian critics agreed that their concerts were well-received and every auditorium was filled to capacity, they felt that the lighter show music was more suitable to their light voices than the operatic excerpts and solos. 
     Mr Booth and Miss Ziegler, in their duets, gazed raptly upon each other, held hands, dated about in conventional operetta poses, and with all sang so sweetly that it seemed inevitable that a pink little Cupid should leap up from the piano and fire silver arrows at them.

ROSE FOR USHER

Miss Ziegler, who looked as pretty as a portrait, even went to far as to present an usher with a red, red rose and to bless his prosaic life with a shy, shy kiss when he brought her the first beautiful bouquet of flowers. Yet he slunk away from this enviable moment of rapture, as though unaware of a moment in paradise.
     The voices are not outstanding, but they are better than most that have been heard in Australian musical comedy and operetta for some years. The singers know how to control the sweet natural tone in a way that will extract the last drop of sentimental unction from it.
    Notable illustrations of this were their duets - Stay Frederick, Stay from The Pirate of Penzance, the waggishly comic presentation of The Keys of Heaven and the medley of ballads which included Until, Love's Old Sweet Song and I Hear You Calling Me.
    Clarence Black, their accompanist, played several well-worn solos in the certain knowledge that his choice of items would make his audience sigh with pleasure."


Webster and Anne meet the mayor of Adelaide's daughter, Barbara McLeay at a civic reception in their honour:

Webster offers Anne a savoury at another mayoral reception.

A less favourable Sydney criticism.

Anne and Webster arrived back in the UK after seven months away, on board The Strathaird on their tenth wedding anniversary, 5 November, just in time to do a broadcast on In Town Tonight.


Their film The Laughing Lady opened in Australia shortly after they left the country. Unfortunately Australian critics were almost universal in their scathing comments about this film. It occurred to me that after being acclaimed and treated like Royalty on their extended tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1948, only ten years later they were living in South Africa in very much reduced circumstances.


Jeannie C©
May 2011


Bibliography: 
Booth, W, Ziegler, A, Duet, Stanley Paul, 1951
Davies, P, List of New Zealand cuttings (1948)
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA
New Zealand Newspaper Archive