Historical information

This is a programme for a 1913 Clara Butt and Kennerley Rumford concert in the Warrnambool Town Hall. Clara Butt (1872-1936) was an English contralto recitalist and concert performer, well-known for her powerful and deep voice. Her three months’ tuition in Paris was sponsored by Queen Victoria. She was married to Kennerley Rumford in 1900 and they had three children. Robert Henry Kennerley Rumford (1870-1957) was an English baritone singer known initially for his performance of oratorio. Clara Butt and Kennerley Rumford were called ‘the greatest classical Valentines’. Other performers listed in this concert programme were Mowat Carter, a Melbourne-born violinist and William Murdoch, a pianist, composer and author, born in Bendigo.

Significance

This programme is of considerable significance as it records the visit to Warrnambool of the famous English singer, Clara Butt. It is an original programme and it is probably a rare one.

Physical description

This is an eight-page programme, consisting of two sheets of cream paper folded in half. The programme was stapled but the staples have been removed. The front cover has blue printing and the back cover has an advertisement in blue print. The print on the inside pages is in black. Two inscriptions are handwritten in blue ink.

Inscriptions & markings

‘1913’
‘N.J.Absalom’