Countries | Norway
Melba wrote about her tour of Norway:
In the July of 1921, I was summoned to Marlborough House to see Queen Alexandra, just before my departure for Norway. Queen Alexandra had been very ill, and I imagined, when I was received by the lady-in-waiting, Miss Charlotte Knollys, that I had only been asked in order to deliver some message or take some present to the Queen of Norway, who is Queen Alexandra’s daughter.
However, Her Majesty insisted on seeing me. The doors were flung open, and I perceived in the shaded light of the sitting-room, the frail beloved figure of the dowager Queen, supporting herself on two sticks.
‘So you’re going to see Maud,’ she said. ‘You must give her my best love.’As I curtsied, I tried to remember who Maud was, and it was only after Queen Alexandra had entrusted me with a great many messages to ‘Maud,’ that I realised she was speaking of the Queen of Norway herself.
‘And now,’ said Queen Alexandra, ‘my daughter-in-law is in the next room, and wishes so much to see you. She will have messages for Maud too.’Royal relationships have never been my strong point, and at the mention of the word ‘daughter-in-law’ I again racked my brains to think who it could be. The difficulty was soon solved for me, for as I walked into the room, I saw the Queen of England, with Princess Mary and Prince Henry, who was introduced to me as ‘our sporting son,’ and I laughed at myself for being so foolish as to forget.
We had a delightful talk, and every member of the Royal Family seemed thrilled that I was going to meet ‘Maud.’
When I eventually arrived in Norway, I found that my hosts, the Baron and Baroness de Wedel, whom I shall always count among my dearest friends, were the possessors of a very beautiful country house.
It was situated some miles outside Christiania, among hills and pine forests which seemed to have been specially created not only for singers with lungs, but singers with eyes as well. I may also add, singers with appetites, for I shall never forget the plates of raspberries and gooseberries they used to send up to my room for breakfast. But when I arrived, I was so tired after the journey that I had no inclination to look at scenery and I was a little taken back when I learnt that the King and the Queen and Prince Olaf were dining that night.
How I got through that dinner I shall never realise, for in spite of the charm of the King and Queen and the effervescent spirits of Prince Olaf, my head was heavy with sleep, and my eyelids had an almost irresistible tendency to droop. However, all went well, and dinner was over at half-past ten. But after I had sung, we began to dance.
I danced in a dream, and made conversation, growing sleepier and sleepier every minute, until finally I could bear it no longer. Greatly daring, therefore, I went up to the Queen, and said: ‘Your Majesty, I do hope you’ll forgive me if I’m doing wrong, but I am terribly tired after my long journey. Would you be so good as to excuse me?’
The Queen was all contrition.
‘Oh dear!’ she said, ‘of course. I had no idea you were tired. Please, please go,’ and then she added: ‘I go to so few dances here, and I love staying late.’I can quite believe what Her Majesty told me, for dining and dancing seems to last longer in Norway than in any other country I have ever visited, not excluding Russia. Many is the dance I attended in which we were considered to leave ‘early’ although it was not till six o’clock in the morning that we drove home through the brilliant sunshine. A nice Judy I must have looked.
Concert for Norwegian sailors
At this time there occurred a concert which, they tell me, was the biggest musical event that Norway has ever known. It arose from the suggestion of the Baron de Wedel that I should give a concert in aid of the Norwegian sailors, who, though they had not actually been at war, had suffered many casualties. Needless to say, I accepted with great enthusiasm, and the Baron and I immediately began to work together.
If I may say so, we made rather a powerful combination, and as for the generosity of the Norwegians, it cannot be surpassed by any nation in the world. As soon as we had told the director of the theatre our plans, he generously told us that we could have the theatre for nothing. It was the same with the orchestra. And the newspapers gave me more publicity – all for nothing – than I have ever had in my life
Finally, when the King and Queen had granted their patronage, it seemed inevitable that the concert should be an immense success.
It was. The estimate of 12,000 kronen, which, we had been informed, was all the money we could possibly get into the theatre, was very greatly exceeded. And when it was all over, I laughingly turned to the Baron and said, ’If only you weren’t such a distinguished diplomat, I would have liked you to be my impresario forever.’While I was singing, a message was handed up to me from Prince George, who had arrived on his ship just in time to come along. It read very simply:
Dear Madame Melba, – Do please sing one verse of ‘Home Sweet Home’ – George.
Needless to say, I did as I was asked. (1)
References:
(1) N. Melba Melodies and Memories, Thornton, 1925, pgs 216 to 219.
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Share your info with us:
[email protected]
Our home is the Old Lilydale Court House:
61 Castella Street, Lilydale 3140
Hours of opening:
By Appointment only:
Fridays 1 to 4pm and Saturdays to Mondays 11am to 4pm.
Sundays are preferred.
Closed Public Holidays
Nellie Melba Museum
Contact Details:
Sue Thompson: 0475 219 884
[email protected]
Nellie Melba Museum
Contact Details:
Sue Thompson: 0475 219 884
[email protected]
Our home is the Old Lilydale Court House:
61 Castella Street, Lilydale 3140
Hours of opening:
By appointment only:
Fridays 1 to 4pm and Saturdays to Mondays 11am to 4pm.
Sundays are preferred.
Closed Public Holidays
Share Your Information
with Nellie Melba Museum!
Sue Thompson: 0475 219 884
[email protected]