ELOCUTIONARY RECITAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1886, 22 October 1913, Page 5

ELOCUTIONARY RECITAL.

MRS. MARTIN WILLIAMS AND PDPILS. Mrs. Martin Williams, teacher of elocution, who is leaving Wellington shortly to tako up her residence in Hamilton, is to bo highly congratulated on the recital given by herself and her pupils last ovening. It is hardly necessary to say that the Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall was packed to tho doors. What is necessary to remark is that tho recital disclosed some exceptionally bright talent among the younger children especially, whose entirely successful efforts must in a largo measure reflect credit on the tuition they have received. Tliere was not an uninteresting item on tho exceedingly lengthy programme. _ Mrs. Williams appeared twice during the evening, once to recite Sir Edwin Arnold's rather thrilling poem "In An Indian Garden," and again iii tho sleep-walking scene from "Macbeth." As tho remorse-stricke Lady Macbeth, Mrs. Williams was very effective. _ If she did not exactly thrill, there was weight and dignity in her impersonation, and her sharply-contrasted changes of tone were in accordance with the best traditional readings of tho scene. Shakespeare was also represented by Miss Hazel Jeffery as Prince Arthur, in tho scene, with Hubert, from "King John," and in tho potion scene from "Romeo and Juliet," capitally acted and spokon by . Miss Janie Petrie, who gave evidence of abundant dramatic talent. No ono was concerned more with the programme than diininutivo Cecilo Hames, whose precocious talont covers an extensive field of endeavour. Little Miss Haines recited and danced, and was concerned in_ tho wordless sketch "An Incident in a Railway Train" (tho invention of Miss _ Betty Purdom and Mr. Culford Bell), with Mr. Norman Aitken, and'nppeared as David Copperfield in tho ■ inn scene from Dickens's story of that name. Tho mito dances prettily,' and displayed a wealth of -natural humour in both tho sketch and the I Dickons scene. In tho. latter she was assisted' by Master Leonard Power, a clever lad, who was much too youthful to suggest tho unctuous insinuation of tho waiter. Miss Hazel Jeffery appears to be over-taught. In straining for elocutionary effect in "To a Skylark" (ICiogsley), she lost the charfning simplicity of tiny girlhood - .and became rather stilted in style. She was much better in "The Doll's Wooing," but still was apt to show the wheels of the elocutionary mill revolving. This gifted little girl wants tho "rest cure" treatment for a time. An exceptionally E leasing performer was tiny Miss Ngaire lemmon, who was deliglitfidlysuited in "Tho Adventures of Miss Duck" and "If No Ono Ever Marries Me." Miss Thelma Crosby repited "Baby,'' and Master Walter Tonks "Seein' 'filings at Niaht," Memories of that (juaint book (and play) ivoi-o recalled by Miss L. M'Donald, who impersonated Miss Hazy in the scene subsequent to Hiram's enforced journey in tho railway-car. Miss M'Donald mado Miss Hazy just a weepful old woman with grey hair and spectacles, and hardly suggested tho startling freakishness of tho character, who was not old and groy-liaired, but just plain, and odd. Miss Amy Bender gave evidence of steady improvement in "Tho Death of Minnehaha,'* (lrom "Hiawatha"), and Miss Effie Cathio showed capital imitative, talent in "Robert of Lincoln" (Bryant). Mr. F. Picot and Miss Maris Hall appeared ini tho scene between Richard and Queen Elizabeth from "Richard III" (Act. IV, sceno 4). Mr. Picot spoko tho lines with proper emphasis and accent, and has a good voice to aid him, but Miss Hall was hardly subtle enough in her style to suggest tlio distressed Queen. Mesdames A. M. Lewis and F. Symon appeared in the Dickens sketch, "Mrs. Gamp's Tea Party," Mr. Eric Fisher recited "Sly Ship and I," Miss Violet Johnston was quito acceptablo in tho humorous recitation, "Papa and - tho Boy," and Master Leonard Power recited with confidence and spirit "Tho Gay Gordons," Tho only vocalist was Miss Winifred Lonsdale, who is a distinctly talented and refined serio-comic vocalist. She specialised in Margaret Cooper songs, and sang them very well indeed. ■