The Orchestra Speaks

Shore, Bernard (Harold Blair; Douglas R. Whittaker; Donald F. White; John Lloyd)

Published by Longmans, Green & Co., London, 1946

About this Item

This copy SIGNED by Harold Blair, along with three others. The ink inscription appears on the ffep: "To Mrs G.J. Ebbels. Commemorating the first C.E.H.A. concert in Wangaratta on Tuesday July 22nd 1947. From - [then signed by all four] - Harold Blair, Douglas R. Whittaker, Donald F. White, John Lloyd". Harold Blair AM (1924-1976) was an Australian tenor and Aboriginal activist. "He entered the Melba Conservatorium in Melbourne in 1945 and earned a Diploma of Music with honours in 1949. In 1950, Blair was invited to study in the United States by the noted African-American singer Todd Duncan. Blair studied at the Juilliard School, New York. While in New York he sang in a church in Harlem, and entered into the community life. He was impressed how people of all races participated at all levels of society. In 1951 the Australian Broadcasting Commission offered Blair a three-year singing contract, commencing with an extensive tour. By the end of the tour he had lost his voice. Breaking the contract, he was prohibited from singing professionally for three years. Discouraged, Blair sought other work including working for a hardware store. He expressed an interest in education and was taken on as a teacher at Ringwood Technical School. He later became a teacher at the Conservatorium in Melbourne, and served on the Aboriginal Arts Board. Blair continued to act for Aboriginal rights all his life. He joined the Aborigines Advancement League in its early days and later the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Watching an Aboriginal marching girls group at Moomba in 1962 led Blair to establish the Aboriginal Children's Holiday Project, and he was an early member of the Aborigines Welfare Board in Victoria. He stood as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party for a seat in the Victorian Parliament against the then Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Blair was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours of 1976." Wangaratta is a town located in country Victoria. With double-page b&w photographic frontispiece. Printed in Great Britain. Bound in publisher's original blue cloth with black lettering to spine. No dustjacket. Very slight handling wear, Melbourne bookseller's small label to front pastedown, otherwise a nice clean tight solid hardcover copy. 218pp. Scarce copy SIGNED by Harold Blair. RARE. SB-46. Seller Inventory # 018002

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Orchestra Speaks

Publisher: Longmans, Green & Co., London

Publication Date: 1946

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Edition: Reprint