CLEMENT MAY RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2946, 5 December 1916, Page 3

CLEMENT MAY RECITAL

■ ■ —-—-»- — 7—■ •'• AT THE CONCERT' CHAMBER. For some days past tho hoardings of the City nave- announced with customary insistence that. Mr. Ulenient May would .recite 0. J. Dennis's "Tho Sentimental Bloke", at his, recitals in tho Concert . Chamber,. the first of which was given last evening. Only one excerpt xroui that ienißTKably clever. series of poems in the idiom oi the Australian "tough" was included in the programme. Mr. iaay frankly uii'onnedd tne audience that ho had: intended to recite half a. dozen of those quaint lyrics, so racy • of Littlo Bourke .Street, bat on announcing that intention he had received a lawyer's letter, informing him that there ■ were certain rights held by another in respect to "The Sentimental Bloke.' Ho was, however, tho law in reciting ono of the poems, and had selected ''The Intro," which tho programmo called "Mr. Istro." 'This poem is one of tho best of the series. Air. May displayed iluency in.the use of tho idiom, but would havri scored moro if he had used broader methods and exercised his naturally robust yoico moro vigorously. Perhaps tho stories of 0. Henry wero the best medium for Mr. May's talent us a raconteur. Ho was thoroughly delightful in his recital of "Tho Defect of tho •City," dwelling .adroitly on the shrewd /humour and jiving full play to tho line fooling that throbs beneath "The Surface and tho Show." Ho was also good in "An Arabian: Night in Madison Square," but tho "Mock Sermon," a common and tawdry bit of -travesty . on tho muchabused curate, was never written by 0. Henry, as tho programme implied, and, was tho least acceptable of Mr. May's selections. Mr. May also found full appreciation in tho .amusing "Witches' Loaves" (Henry), and was quietly effective' in "Cells" (Kipling). Another popular bracket wore tho Dickens sketches (in character), in which Mr.- May has been heard many times in Wellington. Tho best of these was that of Wilkins Micawber, the shabby optimist of "David Copperiield." Among his miscellaneous efforts, "My Lifo" (Robert Service) was recited with manly vigour, and finally ho did tho humorous al'ter-dinner speeches, written and mado famous by Mol./B. Spurr.' 'Mr. May was supported by a charming singer in tho person of Miss Jessie Bartlett, a full-toned contralto, whoso bright musical quality' and pleasing - presence made her immediately popular. Miss Bartlett sang that difficult ballad of oltl, : ."Tho Enchantress" (Hatton), with live intelligence, and sting "The Fat Littlo Fellow with His Mammy's Eyes" and "Lovo'a. Coronation." Mr. Frank Thomas, a capablo pianist, played tho first movement of Mendelssohn's Fantasia in F sharp minor, and a pretty tinkle entitled "Vokante Poupeo" (Colpodini). Mrs. Clemout May also contributed a couple of baby joke songs. The entertainments will bo continued this and to-morrow evenings.