THE SCARLET TROUBADOURS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 6

THE SCARLET TROUBADOURS.

Edward Branscombc's "Scarlet Troubadours," whoso clean and clever entertainment is now familiar to Wellington audiences, commenced a short farewell season at the Conoert Chamber last evening.. The wintry weather had a rather restraining effect on the size of the audience, but it did not affect the enthusiasm of those present, and encores wero insisted on throughout the programme. Among tho Troubadours none- is moro popular than Mr. Ford Waltham, the genial buffo, whoso telling full-toned voice and lugubrious. humour consorts admirably with this stylo of entertainment. Mr." Waltham, suffering from a cold, sang tho jovial "Hovo, Hivo, Ho!" heartily, but declined the persistent applause to sing the several encores desired. Jlr. Alfred Cunningham's ringing baritone, combined with his line interpretative qualities,, always ensures a warm reception, lie sang Dix's splendid song "The Trumpeter" splendidly, and repeated his graphic rendering of the toreador song from "Carmen" to tho delight of the audience. The tenor of tho Troubadours is Mr. Svdnoy Manuering, who sang (with Mr. Edgar Warwick) the comic duet, "Well, Well, You Never Can Tell," and assisted materially in the part singing. Tho art of unaccompanied quartet singing has boon made a speciality by these clover people, who, last evening, gave the keenest ileliukt in the quartet "Absence" and other numbers of lighter character. Jlr. Edgar Warwick sane chippilv of "The Pretty Little Girl in the Big Black Hat" anil other Comic oddities in song. Miss Lily l'ilzgerald, the possessor of a powerful lyric soprano voice, -sang the waltz song, "Arcadia." and Miss Rita Fitzgerald, who possesses a fund of deniuro humour, expressed it in "Marjorio Green" and ".lest Her Way." Miss Winnie Birch, erslwhile of Wellington, sang very piquantlv "A Liltle Girl Like You," and "Arguments," and Jlr Claude Leplastricr sketched a couple of scenes in chalks very deftly. The second part of t.Uo programme was labelled "An Old English Country Scene." In this tho Troubadours, appearing in appropriate costume, pang of love nnd war in typically English songs aiiid choruses. The comic finale "The Village Pump" tickled the audience immensely. The Troubadours will give. three moro performances prior to their departure for Australia.