Monica Hunter

Monica Hunter was a solo soprano singer.

Biography
Although Monica Hunter was always interested in singing and a member of the school choir at the Pearson High School, Port Elizabeth where her education was completed, she did not seriously consider the training of her voice until she was in her late teens.

She was a pupil by Robert Selley shortly after his arrival in Port Elizabeth from England.

In 1957 Hunter went to London to study with Olive Groves at the Royal Academy.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Monica Hunter specialised in the singing of Oratorio.

The Natal Witness of September 1963, said: "Monica Hunter's singing of 'Hear ye Israel' was, frankly, magnificent".

She was the soloist in all the well-known works but her repertoire was not confined to Oratorio singing.

In August 1963, Monica Hunter was a principal in the presentation in Port Elizabeth of Carmen and each night of the week's season she received a great ovation from capacity audiences.

The Port Elizabeth Evening Post wrote: "One of the principals most warmly appreciated by the enthusiastic audience was Monica Hunter.

“And well she deserved her success, for the part of Micaela might almost have been written with her voice in mind and she sang with great beauty of tone and exemplary purity of intonation".

She sung the solo parts in concert presentations of Operas by Purcell and Handel, and gave solo recitals throughout South Africa, Rhodesia and Zambia (where she also appeared on television) and regularly recorded recitals for broadcast by the SABC.

She has also appeared as a soloist with the Civic Orchestras in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban on a number of occasions

In 1972 she played the part of Maria Rainer in the Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival production of The Sound of Music which was produced by Helen Mann at the ??.

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