ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

WELLINGTON LIEDERTAFEL. ■ - Those, who" spent last evening with., tlio Liodertafcl in the Concert' Chamber,' Town Hall, liAil.no.'reason to feel dissatisfied with tho, quality or variety of tho faro provided, for a musical programme of unusual excel--lencc had', been arranged by the mombors of the-Society. Tho Concert Chamber was . ~ comfortably filled,'the gentler sex being pro-, dominant, a, circumstance explained by tho fact that the evening .was dedicated to. tho ladies.'' . The part singing; on the whole, was very good; in one.or two instances—Muilinson's. "Beware l ." and the humorous ditty - - "The Goslings" (J. P. Bridge)-^—it was really excellent.. Tho opening number was Beethoven's .beautiful' "Creation ' Hymn," :» .'which ,wa's very' well sung, the parts being , . Admirably' disciplined, giving the fullest ci[ect to the exquisite harmonics which are 'a -feature of tho. composition. Flcmniing'a ', "Integer. Vivct"*'(English translation by Mr. ■ J. W. Joynt) was bracketed with the proy;ioua.number.' This fine part-song lias been-'.', previously gjven' by the LiedcrtafeT, but was. nevertheless" very welcome. ■' Besehnitt'a ■; '."Serenade" (baritone solo and. chorus)' was ', fairly .'well sung; the'.solo part was success-. ;, fully sung by Mr.-P. Laycock, whose higher : , notes appeared to bo- a. trifle forced. Tho.' chorus Was also a little dilatory, ill attacking tlio opening bars which introduced tho soloist at the cdnimcncement of each verse. "Ncckeu's l'.olska," for quartet and chorus (Otto Lindbiad), was a pleasina number; Messrs. B. Hoar,-D. Jackson, -W. Warren, and G. Parsons were given the quartet, and did -their-" work very carefully. In Men-'"" Ldolssolin's "Thou coinest herd to tho Land, 0 Priend," the. inspiriting chorus was well '- sustained, although- tho tenors appeared to bo weak, being apparently overwhelmed •- by tho other ■ parts.' . Mr. P. Hockley-was unfortunately unable to bo present, owing to a severe cold, and his Stanford's "Marching Along" (with "choral accompaniment), was taken by Mr. l'\ V. ; "Waters,- who made an excellent substi- "' tute,'and entered heartily ..into* tho. spirit of ■''' the rousing, song, tho choir accompanying ■- iwith characteristic vigour'and dash. "Tho Goslings," already noticed as one of the most' successful 'efforts'.pf tho choir," was a mostj ' enjoyable number. It is a musical tragedy in .which the-sad history of two love-sick Gos;.lings is recounted.' Tlio element of ludicrous- ■ .ness is. introduced- by a comical travesty on •Mendelssohn's Wedding March, the last lilies: - ofvtlie first two verses—"And make you my little bride,'.-and "For she's going to be-cooked - tdrday"—boirig: set to the opening bass of o •tho famous .vmarch,- with irresistible effect. ; The last tw6:'lines, of .the .third, verse, refer- t .ring : to tlio tragic demise of tho lovers, is v.v. set to tlio concluding bars of Handel's "Dead ._. March" (Saul), a veritable jest in the teeth" lof .aispectre. The.lnst-i|em in th eprograinmo was Gence's unimitoble musical absurdity, thb "Italian Salad-," which is, a clever burlesquo • oil-the fiiialc of.' the" orthodox Italian - opera ot .- tlio early;, part" of. tho last century, the chief-., ; feature of which was the supreme, effort of • tlio tenor, supported by-bravura orchestral -accompaniment,-, the. whole culminating in a ,> terrific climax. Tho music was exceedingly-.';? : 'well.-sung,;. and'; Mr. ; James Searlo, as the •■• ]ieroic,toiior, gave the 'characteristic touch to ~ - the clever caricaturist's idea. Tho words, jjy. ,- tho ■ way;- .were a - "salad'.' of tlio principal musical:.terms.in vogue.' 1 • The soloists, were Mrs. B. M. Wilson, Mrs. • E. D; Cachoinaille,, and Messrs.' B. Hoar, W. : 't S. Innian,.and.Stuart M'Lcan.'- Mrs. Wilson ,-.? was; iirgood voico, and sang, very success-: fully, Schubert's' "Avo Maria," -and Sullivan's '"Love laid^his sleepless head." Mr. •, ■Hoar,' whose style is "a littlo• mechanical,. selected Stephon Adams's ' 'Nirvana" as' his contribution.., Mr...W- S, Inmaii;sang Handel's "Droop'not, young lover" far too •/; slewly.' - Hau'del,. whoso -characteristic i* massivoness/ .was ;not. successful . in - light opera, "hn/J : was' apt to bo ponderous in his , "lighter",'compositions, and this bccomes very marked when such aro sung too slowly.. Mr; ■Stjiant 'Sl'Lean is a voryj iinp Jiij passionate playing, brings out the nVagnificent'.qualities of' tho 'instrument. He did not >■ appear -.to ■ be l quite .at his ; - easo at .first, ■ /and:so'was lio't heard at liis best in the first ■ part of Goltormarin's -"Andaiito" (from .tho 'Grand ; Duo) ;-but he certainly-removed that 'imnresßioii' tis lie'proceeded.' He was deservedly ciwrc'd. Mr. Robert Parker (whocon- . ; ducted ".the.-, choir --.numbers) was; associated i: : with Mrs. Cacheinaillo in' two l channiii!?.; '.; v'Schavonic.Dances'- (Dvorak), which wore . much appreciated. >»• HOUSE;' •A'iibtlicrnargb ;audicnco'..wit-ftessed tlio per- ;, forinanco of "Her Love Against tlio World" '- at tlio Upera Houso last evening. Tho chief ; honours of the performers go to, Miss Madge ', Macintosh :(who.is not . so theatrical .as tho.,;'; .averago run of melodramatic heroines), Mr. Harcourt -IJeatty, Mr. Gaston Men-ale, and - • hanclsonic -Miss -Hilda Meade. Tlio chief fun-";, manufacturer,'is"; Mr. • Tom Cannam. ■ .;..HIS. MAJESTY'S THEATRE.. " ' . new-'vprogramhio at His Majesty's Theiitro ! .is an-'-exccllent collection of_th.o-.tri-iiihphs,.of'tlio '.bipgrapli. Tho Biblical, story of .-■;■■ 'fSamson" ' is/faitlifnlly adhered to, and-the -V picture is oiio of the most gorgeously col- '-' oured exhibitofl here. Readers of. Tennyson will find a-splendid illustration of "Dora,- a Rustic Idyll." A charming fairy.-story is un- - folded in "The Enchanted Guitar,'- and tho ••' ■pathetic naturo.of-'-A Mother's Crime" docs".-' 3 , liot -fai. It-o appeal. "Dancing Legs," '-'Aunt ' Maria on tho Tight Rope," ''and "Tho Pump l >• kiir Raco" arc a few of a good selection-of doiuics. A matinee-will' bo field' to-morrow. •THEATRE ROYAL/ r There was a' fair, houso .at tho_ Tlnjatro,;'' Royal last. .evening, "when a capital pro- .;- gramine wa3 prußWitcd by a' company of- ta!--ented artists.' It was a night of/'iast nights, being the final appearance in Wellington of Miss Brightie- Smith, ■ Mr.; Tod . Calldway, '. Carlton and. Sutton, tho Levaiios, Lerona. and tho' Zp'ala Sisters. Of these none receive;! ; . a warmer- testimony lof popularity than Miss ; . .'.Brightie Smith,, tho. piquant serio,. who was"' made- tho recipient of several floral'tokens. .. of osteeni.-Other .performers in tlio bill were ' -' Alberto, a smart conjuror, Albert Lucas, .a talented elocutionist, Scott and .Beresford, ■and Miss. Beatrice Butler. An entirely new company, including those old favourites Blur- " • .tfyn Hago n; and : Lucy. Prazer, is - to. appear this evening,. ' ; ; , !•' ; "

f'- THE MERRYMAKERS.--.,. ( V \> Messrs. J.': arid'N. -Tait -have in the. past' given to Wellington audiences, sucb; fine at--tractions that 'their latest /importation, The . ? Merrymakers; may be looked ■ forward -.to .with more .than ordinary interest. • This new •/. cpfripanyhas been, selected-in England by no -I' "loss! a-.personago. thaii-Mr.',G. P.; Huntley, tho ••• - well-known ' coriiodiaii, -wjio ■ has sent a very • elCver combination.. of • London whoso with tho •: leading London theatres and' music-halls. Tho y. :form; .of .-entertainment provided by Tho. / ■■■ .llevrynjakcrs is of high-class .vaudeville ;> ;alld burlesquoi -singuarly free from;;vulgarity. v ? The prices nrb-.pojjul.ar, land excellent business : 'should bo done during the' season here, which - 'pominen'ccs' at .jllio /Town Hall on Saturday, August 8.. Tho box- plans for tho season will. f -ijo opened at.tho Dresden on Monday next. : ■ . jiaOri entertainment. •'■Tho' Rotorua Maori- Mission Eutcrtainera : havo apparently caught tho public fancy, for : .' on tho'occasion of their final entertainment ; last evening the Town Hall was crowded. . The programme was very much on tho lines.' of tlibso" previously given, and included tho 'Charming tableaux of lifo in tho Ohinemutu ' pa and tho story of Hincmoa. Maori'games, songs, and poi dances were given, and tho audience expressed warm appreciation of tho entertainment*.;.- ' . ;

! For, somo' iga.son or other, it has como to lio an axiom/ on. tho stago that nothing will succeed without- a spice of romance, though tho> greatest of all playwrights contrived to writo more than one immortal drama—"Macbeth,". for instance without introducing What .wo. commonly call sentiment.—"Black and White." :: ' • '• ; Doplorable; meteorological conditions liavo no :6lfoot;:on ' tho .oithiisiasm: of an English etfowd. • His crratic climate : has made the avorago Englishman a philosopher.—"Zoituug," -Frankfort.