ELOCUTION RECITAL
PUPILS OF CULFORD BELL A\ T D BETTY PG'UDO.M. The talent has to be. exceptionally good to make an elocutionary recital really interesting. The recital given by the adult pupils of Mr. Oullord Bell aud Miss Betty Purdom at the Concert Chamber on Saturday evening, had many redeeming features, and was relieved here and there frohi mediocrity by gleams of real. talent. This was evidenced more particularly in the comedy sketch work of the ladies. In these items two or three of the pupils appeared very much at home, and were really entertaining in their efforts to amuse, denoting the presence of a bright directing intelligence in the background. In the majority of tho individual reciters, there was the usual tendency to sing-songiness in intonation and inflexion, due to a neglect of the vocal scale. Tho elocutionist in his completest lorin, is he who, given a good voice to begin with, knows how to use it, and senses every shade of meaning in. a word or a phrase, until it is just right. A person reciting in three or four tones is just as monotonous as a singer exercising the same limited range throughout a song. Coming to individuals, Mr. Bell and Miss Purdom have a bright and intelligent pupil in Miss Constance 'J'heel, who set herself a difficult task, and really did very well indeed. Sho selected tho character sketch "Yes, Papa," in which a stage-struck girl, who is expecting an answer from a theatrical manager respecting an engagement, wonders what kind of part she will be allotted, and exercises herself as a lady's maid, a slavey, an Irish girl, 1111 American, and a tragedy queen. .Miss Theel has a bright, cheery personality, and the ease with which she rang the changes, and the distinct cliaractor touches sho gave to each impersonation, indicated a nice measure of talent, wita promise of better things to come. As an encore she recited "Paddy's Courtin'." This, she recited very prettily, but her' Irish dialect was not always ■ the real tiling. Another capital item was the comedy sketch "A. Cheerful Companion," ill which Miss. Flo Gow appeared as a young lady desirous of a young cheerful companion. Her advertisement is answered by the most dismal, wcepful, and talkative sketch of woe imaginable, a part most humorously sustained by Miss Mabel Gallichau. Another delightful sketch was that in whioh Miss Fanny Kutner and Miss Griffiths appeared, entitled "At the Registry Oluce," whero an old and a young lady mistake one another for 'the cook both wish to engage. Miss. Grittiths made a very sweet-disposi-tipned old lady (and, moreover, spoke like, one), and Miss Kutner was pertly pleasing as an up-to-date flapper. .Needless to say, Mr. Bell and Miss Purdom .were excellent in tho comedy sketch "Oh, Dick," one of the old-fashioned sort, in which there are as many "asides" to the audience as there is cross dialogue. Miss Daphne Dryden showed dramatic power in embryo in "Ojistoli," an Indian roinancc, and looked very well in the garb of tho- Mohawk chief's faithful squaw. Miss Iris Trim and Miss Flo Gow wore responsible for musical monologues; Mr. H. Hiskens showed plenty of spirit, if no analytical subtlety, in the "Queen Mab'" speech of Mercutio, from "ltomeo- and Juliet," and Mr. P.' J. Bromley recited "Tho Ballad of the Camper-doß-n" (lvipling). Miss Alice Neuman recited that t sweet poem by the Canadian poet Dr! Drummond (a master poet in the French-Canadian patois), entitled. "Tho Grand Seigneur." Miss James was hardly audible, in Henry Vl's soliloquy on sleep (Shakespeare), and Mr. A. D. Johnstone was moderately amusing in "The Waiter", (in character). Miss Alba Greening, in "An Italian Romance," has an. excellent voice, clear enunciation, and acted with some intelligence—a pupil full of promise. . Miss Frances. SneU recited "Here We Aro Again," and Mr. Colin Trim gave the spirited Jack Tar sketch " 'Erbert, A.8." . The recital for the juvenile pupils is to be given towards the end of September.
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 8
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664ELOCUTION RECITAL Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 8
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