POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 102, 24 October 1871, Page 5

POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT.

The fourth of the series of popular entertainments for the benefit of the Cromwell Athcuteuni building fund, wa3 given at Kidd's Concert-hall on the evening of Thursday, the 19th instant. Considering the very unpropitious state of the weather in the early part of the day, the audience was numerically larger than might reasonably have been looked for under the circumstances. The attractions of the programme would certainly have induced a crowded attendance but for the unavoidable drawback we have mentioned. In addition to Mr Pyke's promised "Half-hour with Brother Jonathan," there were other pleasing novelties in store—not the least prominent among them being the musical treat anticipated from the instrumental performances of three professional musicians, all of whom were known to be thorough proficients in manipulating their respective instruments. We allude to Messrs Whotter, Hobinson, and Sargison, who kindly volunteered their assistance on the occasion, and who contributed very largely to the complete success of the entertainment..

The first part of the programme wa.s appropriately introduced with an overture by tlii band, in which Mr Sargison (violinist}, Mr Robinson (pianist), and Mr Whetter (Cornet), achieved marked success, and elicited the highest ecomiums regarding the skill and precision displayed by them, and the perfect unison of sound produced by the artistic handling of their different instruments. After the overture, the Mayor, Mr James Taylor, took the chair, and in a brief and appropriate speech introduced Mr Pyke to the audience. Mr Fyke said it had been announced that he would deliver a "lecture" on that evening: that was a mistake : he had neither leisure inability to prepare anything which might property be designated a lecture. He had been asked to give his assistance at this entertainment, and having promised to do so, he would endeavour to amuse the audience by reading a few extracts from humorous American authors. The dry, quaint, and irresistibly comic writings of Mark Twain (Mr Samuel Clemens) were excellently illustrated by some choice morceauz culled from the New Pilgrim's Progress, or the Innocents Abroad, —one of the most recent effusions of that genuine humourist. Mr Fyke's Yankee dialect was faultless. Selections from the poems of Bret ilarte were also given in capital style ; and Mr Pyke, on resuming his seat, was loudly and heartily applauded. A vote of thanks to the reader, propose 1 by his Worship the Mayor, concluded the first half of the entertainment.

The band began the second parb with selections from " Peter the Great," and were followed by Mr Sansom with a-song, " Be kind to the Loved Ones at Home." A 1-idy amateur— Mrs Herbert then made her debut, and sang " I breathe once more my Native Air" iu a style which at once established her reputations a vocalist of more than ordinary ability. A cornet duet, by Mr and Master It. Whetter, was excellently played. Mr Grindley gave a couple of comic songs ; Mrs Herbert anil Mrs Watson sang a duct, " Flow on, thou Shining River," in which they were encored ; Mr Robinson distinguished himself by his a.'tistic rendering of two fav.mrite songs, "The Anchor's Weighed" and "The Old Musketeer" ; Mr Sargison played some exquisite solos on the violin ; Mrs Herbert sang another pleasing melody ; and the performance was wound up with the National Anthem, given with telling effect by the full vocal strength of the company. Mrs Watson, and Messrs Loughnan, Colelough, Sargison, and Robinson rendered valuable assistance as accompanists. The entertainment, as a whole, was an unqualified success.