ALEXANDER WATSON RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 33, 2 November 1918, Page 3

ALEXANDER WATSON RECITAL

All those who so intensely admired M*. Alexander Watson's recital of John Masefield's poom, "The Ballad of Everlasting Mercy" three years ago, could scarcely fail to feel th'e intellectual outreach of the fainous English elocutionist in Francis Thompson's poem, "The Hound, of Heaven," recited last evening. This is a remarkable creation in verse, with much that is inspirational and uplifting in its moral and literary fibre. Its mysticism is not obscure; its parables, arguments, and plaints are only subtle to the unenlightened, and. as to its force and meaning there can be no two ways of thought, for it stirs up all the good within one and makes one feel mean about our littlenesses. 1 Like, and yet unlike, "The Ballad of Everlasting 'Mercy,"' it throws tho searchlight on to tho dark spots' in ;dur being, and bids ono look to the Light beyond. Mr. Watson'held tho audience enthralled throughout tho recital. He also recited some charming excerpts from Shakespeare's pastoral comedy, "As You Like It," and was vastly amusing and garrulously contemplative in tho grave-digging scene from "Hamlet"—that leaven of comedy in the tragedy of all tragedies. Other Sieces recited were Clark Russell's "An cean Waif," "Matilda" and "Jim" (two of Hilairo Belloc's amusing burlesques on the "Cautionary Tales" of early Victorian childhood); and "The Courtin.'" (Lowell). To-night Mr. Watson will make his filial appearance in Wellington, when he will present his second Dickens recital, comprising popular selections from "Nicholas Nickloby" and "David Copperfield." In the second l.art of the programme he will give "The Revenge" (Tennyson), new "Cautionary Tales" (Hilaire Belloc), "The Kelpie of Corrievrecken" (Mackay), the (Id favourite, "Rubinstein at the Piano," «nd will repeat by desire "The Penitent in the Trenches," by Captain Lee, of the Black Watch.