Caroline Meta Buring (1875 – 7 November 1955) was a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

and singing teacher.

History

Meta was born in Friedrichswalde, South Australia (later renamed Tarnma) near

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance to th ...

in 1875 to H. F. A. Lina Buring née Dohrenwendt ( – 1934) and T. G. Hermann Buring (1846 – 8 September 1919) of the winemaking firm of H. Buring & Sobels. She grew up with two brothers, Rudolph (1872–1950) and

Leo Buring Hermann Paul Leopold Büring (7 October 1876 – 29 September 1961), generally known as Leo Buring, was an Australian wine maker and merchant. He is commemorated at Roseworthy Agricultural College in the Leo Buring gold medal for dux of the oenolog ...

(1876–1961), and two sisters. She was educated at Sturt Street Public School, and won an

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

in 1887 which enabled her to study at the

Advanced School for Girls The Advanced School for Girls was a South Australian State school whose purpose was to prepare girls to qualify for entry to the University of Adelaide. Founded in 1879, the school merged with Adelaide High School in 1907. History From its inc ...

; she matriculated in 1890 but did not go on to University. Instead she pursued her interest in music and singing and studied

elocution Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compel ...

under Wybert Reeve. She studied for several years at the

Melbourne Conservatorium of Music The Melbourne Conservatorium of Music is the music school at the University of Melbourne and part of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne City Centre on the S ...

under Madam Wiedemann and Marshall Hall, returning to Adelaide in 1897, appearing first at the

Adelaide Town Hall Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The City of Adelaide Town Hall complex includes the Town Hall and the office building at 25 Pirie Street. Description and history Adelaid ...

with the

Adelaide Liedertafel The Adelaide Liedertafel (Die Adelaider Liedertafel) is a traditional German male choir, one of several ''Liedertafeln'', or song societies, in the history of Adelaide and South Australia. It is Australia's oldest male choir. History The first "A ...

and (Hermann) Heinicke's Grand Orchestra, then concerts with pianists Eduard Scharf and

Elsie Hall __NOTOC__ Elsie Maude Stanley Hall (22 June 1877 – 27 June 1976), commonly referred to as Elsie Stanley Hall, was an Australian-born South African classical pianist. As a child prodigy performing in Europe she was dubbed "the Antipodean Phenom ...

and complimentary concerts to P. A. Howells and Lucy Stevenson, all at the Town Hall. She also appeared with

Amy Castles Amy Eliza Castles (25 July 1880 – 19 November 1951), was an Australian dramatic soprano. Family The daughter of Joseph Castles (1849-1933), and Mary Ellen Castles (1855-1937), née Fallon, Amy Eliza Castles was born in Melbourne, Australia on 2 ...

at the Exhibition Building. Following complimentary references by

Amy Sherwin Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin (23 March 1855 – 20 September 1935), known as the 'Tasmanian Nightingale,' was an Australian soprano celebrated for her groundbreaking international opera and concert career. First gaining attention in ''Don Pasqua ...

, a group of Adelaide music-lovers subscribed to a fund to send her to Europe for further musical education. She left in 1900, first for

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, where she spent a year under

Julius Stockhausen Julius Christian Stockhausen (22 July 1826 in Paris – 22 September 1906 in Frankfurt) was a German singer and singer master. Life Stockhausen's parents, Franz Stockhausen Sr. (1792–1868), harpist and composer, and Margarethe Stockhausen n ...

at his music school, studying German, French, Italian, and English diction, sight-reading and choral work, and also receiving private tuition. Next she spent a year in London, studying under

Minna Fischer Minna Pauline Fischer (20 January 1858 – 7 August 1941) was an Australian lyric soprano and singing teacher in London. History Fischer was born in Tanunda, South Australia, the second daughter of George Friedrich Fischer and his second wife ...

Arthur Chappell Chappell & Co. was an English company that published music and manufactured pianos. Founded by pianist Samuel Chappell, the company was one of the leading music publishers and piano manufacturers in Britain until 1980 when Chappell sold its ret ...

gave her the opportunity to sing at one of his famous "

Monday Pops St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent Street and Piccadilly, ...

" concerts with the

Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Early years Born in Liège, Ysaÿe began ...

quartet, followed by other concerts at the

Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genre ...

the Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around ...

, the Bechstein Hall, and others. She gained valuable experience in teaching by taking pupils in Liverpool and Manchester, where she also appeared in several of Hans Richter's Hallé concerts, and at the

Free Trade Hall The Free Trade Hall on Peter Street, Manchester, England, was constructed in 1853–56 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre. It is now a Radisson Hotels, Radisson hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn ...

with

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

soprano Mary Conley. She might have stayed longer, but following her parents' wishes she returned to Adelaide in 1908, on the steamer ''Commonwealth''. On her return to Adelaide her performances in large halls were rare. This may have been linked to a throat injury which she suffered while in England, and required medical attention; she was active however as a teacher of singing, with a studio in

Currie Street Currie Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map
of the

King William Street. She was a prominent member of the

Adelaide Women's Club Adelaide Women's Club was a social club for women which operated from 1922 to 1938 in Adelaide, South Australia. History The Adelaide Women's Club was founded in June 1922 by a handful of professional women led by Adelaide Miethke, and incorporat ...

, and frequently entertained with songs at Club socials, private soirées and Advanced School reunions. It is likely she shared a residence on Flinders Street, Kent Town with her sister Edelgarde Adele Buring (1878 – 16 November 1948), about whom little has been found since 1924.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buring, Meta Australian contraltos Singers from South Australia Australian music educators 1875 births 1955 deaths People from Kapunda Voice teachers Australian women music educators People educated at the Advanced School for Girls Australian expatriates in Germany University of Melbourne alumni Australian expatriates in England Australian people of German descent