WELLINGTON ARTS' CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 920, 13 September 1910, Page 6

WELLINGTON ARTS' CLUB.

■.;Ji:';;r ; {'|-r- ' x: t . v -l ■' ■'•:,. '';) :.; .VISITORS'. NIGHT..."'.' Tho "Wellington; Arts. .Club . and their friends -assembled in'' large 'numbers• at; 'the' Concert .Chamber last evening to enjoy the' pleasure of. the'club's first, serai'public concert.. ■ The hall'wai; quite filled at .8 o'clock,'' and' those'-who : came later had ;;to. stand .'at the . back. ; The instrumental music was : of. ■ .a- ' particularly pleaiiihg character, and' its; performance left little "to be desired. The programme opened'-,with--Chopin's '"Hondo ".for- two pianos, delightfully-played by Miss Beat-; rice."ißichmond and .Mr. Horace*' Hunt; Mr. ;'F. K. Johnstone' played . two short -cello :: solos—Goltermann's ;"Cantilena" and : Becker's' lively;'.:. ', 'Minuettb." Mr. Herljer't Bloy being indisposed, Miss May Donaldson .'. filled , his -place,- playing Wieniawslri's; "Itoraahce"- with nice, f«el-, ing. :.!«TJi©. piece, do, resistance, however, was'.the-,second part,of the, Trio -in 'A •Minor'.'of. Tschaikowsky,/;played;;by Miss . Beiitiioe Richmond, ; Miss Miiy Donaldson',' .and Mr.: Prank ;Johnstone; -a"beautiful txcerpt from a. magnificent work, .which .was, only,modurately, well; played. ■'.; Only constant rehearsal. together can give;that 'ease and -finish, '/without /which Tschaikowsky' is perhaps! better let. alone.; Mr. 1 :A.' C.'C; Stevens,.a; baritone of musical arid sympathetic . quality, ."sang Lully's' simple, serious little' song F ';"Bpis "Epais,": .and,' as'an-/encore, "Two Brown : Eyes": :(Del Riego).';-Miss•Lloyd-Hassell struck a' grave /note with '';Luigiv .'Luzzi's- ,"Ave : Maria.-'' •lady.../vocalists almost witho,ul./ ; exception ..exhibited -a taste for; the sad;' antt, : under < the; .circumstances,// sbme'what.'/dcpressing/ in sbrig.' Miss/ Eileen;. Ward, palpably •'nervous," .sang .Bcmborg.'s /"Chant v ,Hindu" /(in French),-and,' encouraged, with an ; encore, ■ gave..Mallirison's,song ■ /.;"0 /Thank Me .Not"; very well indeed.'; Miss/Ward only "needs. :to get over v. the/ : timid 'stage; .to: bo:' i ■ valuable •' • addition,-- i.0.-.'. the /'/concert. platform; .//'Miss .'Draper; v.'^also.' very, '.nervous '..'and... almost / 'painfully tremii-;. lous, added,, a .touch of;'gloom' with the,- sbrig;.; "Abide.-,,With'...Me." : Mi. J.;, P./ .'Carr.«ang, sadly•/of "The- End" .'(Bchuma'nn),.and lightly'ypiced.the'.early. Victorian "There is a Ladye'.-.Swee/t : and Kynde" of; Pur'cell, 'which.was; also" the. i'everse/'of enlivening. :. A. gleam of .hess was provided , in ;,'the' old. Gold-, smithian • comedietta, ; '":"Snow-bound," nicely ' played by ;. 'Mr. / H.. H. Rayward /and .Miss-, M. '•-. Carte. ..Tho, brilliant ( talent .of Mr. '.R.\T. .Robertson is something,for"Wellington to ,b'o proud 0f../He, is ;. : a;:.vbcar '.enjtertainer,: with splendid control of a/vibrant tenor and ii perfect soprano '/(not falsetto); allied; to humourand artistic, polish. Last evening he 'delighted the audience.- ,! with ."The. Miller'and, the :Maid," an excerpt i from "The French Maid," and aliother doublevoiced : vocal' sketch .'■: which ./kept' the audience'simmering; with' /laughter '/and. amazement: at the. facility 'with-.'which he/glides 'from ono voice, to '.the other,. ..Mr.'.LV.'B. Richardson did:a chalk sketch of'Mr. : H;:M. Gore, vice-president of the club; /Mr. J; M/Clark; with-/his usual fore'e'l/and elocutionary skill, held;'the audience with Bret Harte's bit of rugged drama; entitled' "Enoch '. of,/. Calaveras." MisS'Hardinge Maltby recited "Butter-, flies" prettily to an appreciative audience. During the concert the president, Mr. .H..-H. Rayward, had a: heart-to-heart talk .with those 'present about the; affairs of the club. He called on .the. audienco to' admire,the.,arrangement of the'.greenery, it being/the work'of Miss"Lee : imd Messrs. Welch and Leslie. . The club library was, .doing very- well,, but, they/ wanted it to do better.■ To that end, they;had a/good scheme /to propose—Mrs.' .A. E:. Korno't had promised a, donation of,i£s 55..,t0 its funds, if nine..others:-would, do likewise. He counselled nlembers to attend the Wednesday lectures, and assured them-"that much- intellectual and' artistic benefit would accrue. The club: had • taken'' a cottage at Pahautanui for the benefit of skotchers, and wero ! considering takinr;' another, at Muritai. : The idea wds tluit the ladies/ should : have the ,one cottage for a month whilst, the gentlemen had the other^-(laughter)—or it could be arranged, in, some other . way. (Loud laughter.) Anyhow, it was a good thing for tho members, who should take !idvantage of the accommodation so provided.: