GOOD TEMPLARS' ENTERTAINMENT

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 199, 14 June 1878, Page 2

GOOD TEMPLARS' ENTERTAINMENT

An entertainment, in aid of the Good Templars' piano fund, took place on Tuesday evening, at the Town Hall. The weather was far from propitious, as a drizzling rain had been falling at intervals throughout the day, and in the evening it looked far from settled over head, while the streets were certainly a little sloppy. However, we are happy to say that a desire to assist a worthy object, in which Akaroa is seldom behindhand, coupled with the expectation of hearing something good, had the effect of counteracting the unpleasant weather, and a bumper house was the result. Occasions like this bring forcibly to mind the insufficient nature of the accommodation provided by the Town Hall, a building which has been of great service in its day, and to which the inhabitants of Akaroa owe many a pleasant evening, but which has become too small for the present requirements of the place. Punctually at eight-o'clock the-enter-tainment commenced, the opening piece bein.u; a duet for piano and cornet, played by Messrs Fenton and Daly. The selection was a pleasing Scotch air, called " Charlie," and it went very well.. MrH. Bridge then contributed a-beautiful song by Gounod, the " Guardian Angel." This was, as it fully deserved to be, very well received. Mr Hariock theri read an amusing piece, entitled "When may a Scotchman be considered drunk ?" It is needless to say that the point at which snch a consummation is to be reached is one extremely difficult of attainment, and the hero of the story finds himself at last capsized from his horse and plunged into a river, without admitting anything more than that " he thoehfc he heard a!splash I" The nest piece on the programme was to have been a vocal duet between Mrs Wood and Master L. Watkins, but this had to be omitted, owing to a cold from which Master Watkins was suffering. Mrs Wood and MrH.. Bridge then sang Mendelsohn's duet, " Oh could I teach, you warbling bird," accompanied on the piano by Miss Gonnell, and on the cornet by Mr Daly. This belongs to a class of music which we are glad see introduced at these entertainments. In a certain sense such pieces cannot be called " popular," in that they are unfamiliar..to many who constitute general audiences, but they want nothing but a certain amount of familiarity to render them universally admired. Mr Nixon came next, and introduced a change, in the shape of the "Bonny wee window." This produced an encore, and it was somewhat singular that, it should have been the first and only song that was so honored, but perhaps those of the audience who were most appreciative were least demonstrative. As an encore Mr' Nixon pang another song of a similiar class, entitled. "An old man's darling." Selections from "Martha," performed as a pianoforte duet, by Mrs Wood and Mrs Anderson was next given. This was played with great taste, and elicited considerable applause. Mr Gates then sang an unpublished song by a local author, conveying such an excellent moral, that we venture to transcribe the first verse, which runs as follows:—

" We live in a beautiful land, Surrounded by all that is fair ; If we were but a brotherly band, How happy we all might be here.' But petty contentions are rife, And envy and malice hold sway; - Let's endeavor to put away strife, And do the right, happen what may." A pianoforte solo, by Master L. Watkiae, followed, the piece selected being oneJby Sydney Smith, called "Fountain Spring." The young performer's execution, and the taste with which he played, reflects great credit on himself and the training he has ■ received. Mr Morgan then recited tiie " Burning ship," and this was followed, by a thrilling baritone song, with a refrain, " I gather them in," by Mr Bobertshaw, who would have given greater effect to it than he did, but for the fact that he was suffering - from neuralgia. Miss Connell and Master L. Watkins then played "the overture to Balfe's " Bohemian Girl," containing all the gems of that delightful opera. Mr Nixon then sang " Weel may the keel row." Mr Billens gave a reading entitled the " Yankee and Pirate," and .this was followed by a beautiful song by Mr H; Bridge, entitled "The lost chord." Mrs Wood and Miss Cojinell then gave another of Mendelsohn's vocal duets, %X would that my love." Mr W. Smijjjhrof Pigeon Bay,. gaTe a comic reading, and Mr Gates concluded the firet part by singing another original song, which consisted of an appeal for Good Templary, and the chorus of which ran as" follows :— " Then we'll honor the noble crusaders, ; Who try to raise up fallen mari ; 'Tis a praiseworthy work they are doing, Let us aid them as far as we can."

After an interval of a few minutes, " Bob Sawyer's Party," arranged for representation from " Pickwick," was given, the characters being sustained by

•'"Messrs Robertshaw; H. Bridge, H. Watkins, tub., G. Armstrong, jun., J. Bruce, and ». Newtoni In the course- of- this little scene a couple of songs were introduced , "by Messrs Bridge and Robertshaw. The 'entertainment concluded about half-past ten, and the audience separated . • evidently well pleased with their evening's *' amusement. The only point about which we heard a complaint made, was the apparently unnecessarily long delays that intervened between the pieces. Perhaps the bint will be taken on a future occasion. Wβ think also that audiences might be a little more enthusiastic in manifesting approval where anything really pleases. Several of the pieces performed on Tuesday evening gave, we believe, the greatest satisfaction, but were received almost in solemn silence. Thi&ihas a very dispiriting effect on the pertonners. If people are pleased,, let them " signify the same in the usual way," reserving silence as a mark of disapproval. We do not mean to recommend promiscuous applause alike :£or everything, good, bad, and indifferent, but on Tuesday evening we heard remarks to justify the conclusion that the most appreciative portion of the audience thoroughly enjoyed' certain of the pieces submitted to them, but they jgave no " ontward and visible sign " of this enjoyment, the not unnatural conseqnence being that the performer is puzzled ■as to how it is he 'has failed to hit the taste •of his audience.