H.M.S. PINAFORE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1384, 20 November 1884, Page 2

H.M.S. PINAFORE.

J The production of Gilbert and Sulli- ! van’s opera H.M.S. Pinafore by the mem--1 bers of the Ashburton Orchestral and 1 Choral Societies was an event looked for- ’ ward to with considerable inteiest, as was ' shown by the large audience which as aembled in the Oddfellows’ Hall last evening. It is pleasing to chronicle a | success artistically as well as financially, and Mr Sidney Wolf should fa-1 gratified with the work done by his pupils. Cer--1 tainly nobody could have been more in- [ defatigable than was that gentleman, both on the stage and in the orchestra, in the : preparation of the entertainment, and the chief credit of the success is due to him. ; From the rise of the curtain, which dis--1 closed the sailors of the Pinafore at their 1 work, and very picturesque they looked, till the close of the opera everything went 1 well, and there was not a single hitch 1 notio able to the audience. It would be flattery to say that there were no short comings, but for an amateur performance it would compare favorably with similar productions in any place in the colony. As was naturally inevitable, some of those who took part in the were better in their singing than in their acting and vice versa, but taken as a whole the characters appeared to be allotted to those best suited to them, and each played well into the others’ hands. Want of space would preclude us from noticing in detail individual performers were we inclined to do this, but where the tout ensemble was so excellent there is no necessity to particu lari e. A special word of praise, however, is due to Mr 0. Bourk, who provided a really beautiful scene, the effect of the dista it houses of Portsmouth being lit up, in the second act, calling forth well deserved applause. The guard of honor which escorted the First Lord of the Admiralty was formed of members of the Ashburton Volunteer Brigade, and the precision with which they went through their drill was simply perfection, while their red coats contrasting with the white clothes of the sailors rendered the scene very telling. It is not often we find an amateur performance where everything goes right, especially on a first night. The lights are turned on at the wrong moment, or some necessary ‘‘prop” is found wanting when it is required, but last evening, Mr Walter Dolman, who had the management] of this department, was found to be the right man in the right place, and all went well. The improvement in the playing of the ’orchestra since Mr (Sidney Wolf has held the bdton wai very noticeable, and last night no fault could be found with the manner in which they did tneir part. When wo say that Mr Wolf has scored the whole of the band parts of Pinafore,” and has also managed the entire stage business some idea of the arduous work he has had to do cau be conceived, and the success of the opera has been thoroughly earned. There will be another performance this evening, when it ia expected there will again be a bumper house, as a large number of visitors are in town for the races.