“H.M.S. PINAFORE.”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1528, 30 April 1885, Page 2

“H.M.S. PINAFORE.”

The Ashburton Choral and Orchestral Societies are once again entitled to our congratulations on the production of Gilbert’ and Sullivan’s comic opera of “ H.M.S. Pinafore, or tho Lass that Loved a Sailor.” Our congratulations have to take two directions on this occasion. Firstly, on tho keen business perception of those who have tho management of the Iwe Societies’ affairs. This perception evinced itself in the choice of the race nights as the time for giving the second production of the opera. The town on these evenings has usually a large influx of visitors, all on pleasure bent, and, with their evenings unemployed, those visitors naturally look for jjsome sort of entertainment, and as the natural tendency of the Briton —at least the sporting Briton —is towards the theatre for an evening’s pleasure, a play or an opera is preferred to anything else. Then, too, the local people who have spent tho day on the racecourse are just in the frame of mind suitable for patronising an entertainment. Hence, a good “ show ” always gats a good house in Ashburton on a race nighN Secondly : We have to compliment the Societies on scoring a success with their performance. We are not prepared to say this success was as signal as that which marked the performance of the opera on its previous production, but still after all proper allowances have been made, there is great room for congratulation, and this we heartily give. Last night the audience and ft was a large one—who attended the Oddfellows’ Hall showed a willingness to be pleased and a readiness to accord applause for meritorious work, which we hope all deserving amateurs will ever encounter in the audiences who patronise them, and when those who went to listen were in this happy frame of mind it would be ungracious on our part to be out of accord tyith them. The cast of characters, as we stated yesterday, greatly differed from that of the previous performance, and to this may be attributed soiree of the unsteadiness that was occasionally apparent, caused by the fact that the parts were new to many of them, and possibly also wanting in the necessary- amount of rehearsal. The chorus, too, had been soqaowhat altered in ypanonue

Among jthe m-Ii voitej, a little more bass wotjl4 been an advantage, but the ladies of the chorqa had received some very valuable additions and the fresh “crowe of blushing beauty” was certainly an acquisition. In the orchestra the place of Mr Jenkins, the clarionet player, whites rprnovai from Ashburton has been’ bo great a loss to the Society he belonged to, was ably jfi led by Mr Petrie from Christchurch, and Mr Wood, the well-known violinist from that city had the onerous duty of leader to perform. It la to bo hoped—and the hope is not altogether without good foundation —that Mr Wood will be able to take up a permanent residence among us. From the orchestra there was withdrawn Isst night the piano. This instrument has always, when well played, a steadying effect upon the orchestra, but while it helps to hide faults that would otherwise be badly apparent, it has itself tjie fault of tending to obscure excellences gf which the e»r would [regret to have missed the enjoyment, Ij’hp piano also supplies what may be wanting when ail the parts are not as fully represented as they ni'gh.t be, but the practice of working without one gives confidence to the players, end w,e were welj pieced to see the orchestra essay its work last night on its own merits alone. It is a small matter, perhaps, but we would recommend to those interested in the Oddfellows’ Hall to devise ; Bome means of protecting the immediate front of the stage from tho draught of the side door. On a damp night like last, the necessary and frequent opening and closing of the aide

door admits a most disagreeable draught, uncomfortable enough to that part of the audience sitting in line with it, but specially so to the violinists, who, playing in a hottoom, have the tension of their strings awkwardly affected by the sudden draughts of odd damp air that so frequently blow in upon them. Most of our readers know that upon the trueness of the violin string’s tension depends the accuracy of tune of the instrument, and if this difficulty With the door could be remedied the comfort of the audience would be greatly enhanced, and players of both string and wind instruments liable to bo affected by change i in temperature would be relieved of a source of annoyance The place of the lady who on the last performance of “ Pinafore” by the amaters played the heroine of the piece—Josephine—was taken by Mrs Sidney Wolf, Not only was the part new to her, and that she took it at short notice, but Mrs Wolf sang under the disadvantage of suffering from an affection of the throat, which certainly interfered with her rendering of some parts of the music and prevented her from doing the fullest justice to her wellknown powers. But otherwise her rendering of the part was really excellent, and this talented lady at once won the hearty approval of her audience. Her acting was faithful and powerful and she fully sustained the high anticipations we had promised of her redering Sir Joseph Porter was taken by Mr J W. Jones We must certainly say the audience bene fited by this change, for while Mr Jones’s acting was certainly up to that of the previous performance of the part, his pronouncedly better voice greatly enhanced his pburtrayal of the high and mighty K 0.8. Mr Jones sang throughout remarkably well and was frequently applauded, but nothing could exceed the enthusiasm he raised when to the end of his song “ The Queen’s Navee” he tagged on the following verse, the production of a local poet ;

Now, seamen all, keep wide awake, Our national honor is at stake ; If England should this war declare

The lion is sure to beat the bear. But stick close to your guns

And let the Russians see That we British are the rulers of the world’s navee.

The verse “fetched” the loyalty and patriotism of the Briton’s before him, and he had of coarse to respond to an encore, so decided, that refusal may have been quite as dangerous for him as for the “ bear." Mr Rose, who kindly took Mr Branson’s place as Oaptain Corcoran, must be made allowance for. He was asked to sing the music of a part that had previously been sung by one of the most brilla'nt baritones in Canterbury, and while the possessor of < f that voice brought to the aid of the part a figure of very comfortable 'proportions that made him look in his uniform the very beau ideal of a “ skipper,” Mr Rose has not the same substance, still the latter gentleman went through his part very accurately, and his spirited delineation of the character made up for what was lost by the absence Of his predecessor’s excellent voice. Dick Deadeye was the next change in the cast, and Mr Alfred Fooks t ok the part of that “ miserable crittur.” It is no easy one to carry through, but Mr Fooks acquitted himself very creditably indeed in his work, and the scene with Captain Corcoran when ho betrays his messmate’s plan for a runaway marriage to his Oaptain, was very enjoyable. Cousin Hebe was personated by Miss Moss. This lady’s task is not a heavy one, and the most Hebe has to do is to look pretty. This, of course, was no effort to the young lady who had the part assigned to her. Tom Tucker, the Midshipmite, and Dorothea were played by Master Pat Ireland and his little sister, and the diminutive pair were very amusing The old faces among the principals were Little Buttercup, played by Mrs Hodge with all the jollity and success of her last appearance ; Ralph Rackstraw, by Mr Stephenson, who did not lose a single laurel he bad won ; and Bill Bobstay, the boatswajn, by Mr David Thomas, who was as f eah and as funny as ever. Mr F. Bevan, as the Boatswain's mate, sang an interpolated song, “ Sailing,” in a style that made it a very acceptable addition to the text, and received for the item a well merited round of applause. Golor--ergeant Thomas Hayes, of the Ashburton Rifles, was there with a guard of honor recruited from his comrades, and the little company of snider-armed redjackets made a good appearance on the stage. The chorus was made up as lollows :—Mesdames Crisp, Ireland, Saunders, Branson, Uestell, and Misses Boyle, Barrett (2), Graham, Moss ; Messrs Gundry, Andrewes, Salek, Field, Flower, Morgan, Bevan, Paul, Gates. The opera will be repeated to-night.