IRISH CONCERT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2412, 18 March 1915, Page 7

IRISH CONCERT

A CROWDED TOWN HALL Was .there an Irish song left unsung at the St. Patrick's Day concert held in the Town Hall last evening? There may have been some, as the Irish have a vast'store of exquisite songs to pick and choose from, but there wore sufficient of the best-known and best-loved to clieer the Irish hearts that filled the vast hall. It is a curious fact about the Irish that, those of its good folk who settled abroad and make such admirable colonists, fow ever return or wish to return to the "ould sod," but they do love to sing about returning and with moisture of genuine emotion' m their eyes to conjure up in song tho glories' of the Emerald Isle. Not for a moment does one question the genuineness of the sentiments they cherish. No one could do so after witnessing tho manner in which they "lifted the roof off' last evening after Mr. Farquhar Young had sung "The Wearin' of the Green." " . The'concert generally' was thoroughly and sincorely Irish. ' Mr. Farquhar Young, the genial Dunedin basso, who is able to adapt himself happily ,to any programme, , sang the ancient song above-mentioned with much vigour ana feeling, and the' audience "brought the house down" when he rollicked with gusto in "The Donovans and Mickey o' fjta" He was also associated with Miss Mabel Wrighton in that lovely dnet, "The Moon. Hati Raised Her Lamp Above," from Benedict's opera, "The Lily of Killarney" (founded" on Boucicault's play, , "The Colleen Bawn"), and also sang appropriately "The Memory of the Dead (Davis), and "Corns Back to Erin. ', Miss Agnes Segrief's sweet, cultured voice was heard to advantage in "The Dear Little Sham-; rock,' "Kitty of Coleraine," and "The Last Glimpse of Erin" (Moore), and Miss Teresa.M'Enroe, who. is heard, far too seldom, sang with good taste "Kathleen Mavourneen" (Crouch) aid "The Last Rose of Summer," and had to respond to encores on both occasions. Little Rita M'Gee cleverly recited "Annabel M'Arty" and "Ain't Yer, Charlie." "The Queen of Connemara" (Alicia Needham). was rather jerkily suiig hy Mr. Charles Hickmott, who was much more at home in "Father O'Flynn," a hardy favourite. Master Ben .O'Brien played a-lengthy fantasia of Irish airs, during which members of the audience, amused themselves by attempting to keeptime to the varying, tempo of the music with their .feet. Miss Wrighton -sang "Tho Hills of Donegal," arid, at the piano, "Grandmama Will Pay": Miss Flora Shaw danced a jig deligntfully, and the Marist Brothers'- boys, .in white array, sang several choruses, concluding with "God Save Ireland." Mr, John Sidford played-the accompaniments very ably, arid also played Irish and national airs on the grand organ. An innovation was made in the programme by-the inclusion of a reoitation by Mr. Winter Hall, of the PlimmerHall Patriotic Company. .Mr. Hall recited with sweeping dramatic conviction "Shamus O'Brien," an effort which aroused enormous enthusiasm. In response to the applause, the actor came forward'and recited Eugene .Field's beautiful: lines, "Good-bj-e, God Bless You", jfith fine expression. With the . permission of the committe.e Mr. Hall '• then briefly addressed the. audience on the effort he and Mr. H. Plimmer were about to make, and solicited the support of all present. His remarks were' mflst' cordially received.