Dorothy Helmrich - interviews with Dorothy Helmrich and one tape of a lesson with pupils, 1975- 1976

MLOH 9

fonds

1975-1976

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

395197

Sound Recording : MLOH 9/1-5

Sound Recordings - 5 reels - 2hrs 45mins

Dorothy Helmrich was born at Sydney in 1889. She studied music and singing at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and from 1923 at the Royal College of Music in London. As an acclaimed lieder singer she toured Britain and Europe, and twice toured Australia. After her second tour she joined the staff at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney until 1976. Miss Helmrich was the founding president of the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts, later the Arts Council of Australia. Dorothy Helmrich died in 1984.

1975-1976; Interviews with Dorothy Helmrich conducted by Hazel de Berg for the National Library of Australia, being four reels. The interviews focus on Dorothy Helmrich's musical career; her reasons for becoming interested in singing; her studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Verbruggen, and being a protegee of Lady Cooper who sponsored her musical studies in London at the Royal College of Music. There is some account of Miss Helmrich's concert career and mention of conductors and accompanists including Sir Henry Wood and Gerald Moore. She toured Great Britain and Europe and on her second visit to Australia toured Java and Singapore in 1941. She mentions being encouraged to set up the Council for the Encouragement of the Arts, later the Arts Council, by Jessie Street. The first Australian ballet performed under the Council's auspices was 'Corroboree' by John Antill. Helmrich taught at the Sydney Conservatorium from 1941 to 1976 under Dr. E. Bainton, Sir Eugene Goossens, Joseph Post and Sir Bernard Heinze to all of whom she pays much tribute.
ca.1976; Lessons conducted by Dorothy Helmrich include songs by unidentified pupils with occasional suggestions by Dorothy Helmrich.

The tapes accompany personal papers of Dorothy Helmrich filed at MLMSS 4332.