AN EXCELLENT CONCERT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1926, Page 13

AN EXCELLENT CONCERT

A VOCAL EVENT AT LOWER HUTT. Always one of the most interesting concerts of the year, that arranged by Mr. L. J. Hill for the Lower Hutt Bowling and Tennis Club, given at the King George Theatre on Monday night, was exceptional in several ways. In the first instance, it was the opening of the reconstructed theatre, it was a record house, and it marked the first appearance since her return from England of the Hutt singer, Miss Millicent Knight. So the whole ol the district was intrigued — but then it was a wonderful concert. No local concert given in Wellington this year could compare with the quality ol the artists and diversity of numbers. In that respect Mr. Hill has a special Hair—he gets the best, and many of them, simply because he is E. J. Hill. Among the outstanding artists engaged was Miss Frances Morrison, the gifted Marlborough contralto, recently from England, who has a sweet-toned contralto \oice of fine quality throughout the registers, with especial richness below the stave. Miss Morrison charmed the i udience in llathro’s “The Enchantress,” and was most enthusiastically encored. For her delightful singing of “My Love is a Muleteer” (di Nogcrsj, later in the evening. Miss Morrison received the honour of a double encore. Mr. Barison Cook rose to superb heights in his spirited reading of “I’m a Roamer” (Mendelssohn), catching the humorous spirit cf .the speedy measure as only an artist could. The enthusiasm took the form of a triple encore—nothing else would appease the clamour. Later Mr. Cook bang “When the Sergeant-Major’s on Parade,” and again had to add a couple of delightful songs to stem the flood of applause. A great welcome was accorded to Miss Millicent Knight, the possessor of a cultured and nicely-trained mezzo-soprano voice, which is rather more brilliant in the upper register than it is below. Miss Knight sang the well-known aria “Softly Awakes My Heart” (from Saint-Saens’ “Samson and Delilah”), and infused a good deal of feeling nto the number. She was accorded a double encore. Later Miss Knight aiing “Abseu ’e” .Easthope Martin), and “Alleluia” (Morris), and again was twice recalled. One of the most arresting and artistic numbers was the scena “Dainty Dorothea.” When the curtain ascended Mr. E. J. Hill, in early Victorian costume and white wig, was discovered, gazing at the portrait of a beautiful girl in a gilt frame—his first and only love, Dorothea. As he sang the first verse Misses Carwell Cooke and McFarlane emerged from the wings to trip gracefully through the dainty gavotte. Then as the yearning lover calls passionately for his Dorothea, the “portrait” arose, stepped out < f the frame, and with charming old-world grace, bowed to the singer. Miss Lorna Chapman made a graceful and fascinating Dorothea. The concert was cleverly conceived, and beautifully executed. What was remarkable about it was that many in the audience assumed that Miss Chapman, sitting composedly in her gold frame, was actually a life-size portrait borrowed ,for the occasion, and quite a gasp was heard when she rose and stepped daintily out of the past into the present. “Tally-Ho” (Leoni) was really well sung by Mr. R. R. Orr, who was recalled, and Mrs. A. Innes-Slurray was richly dramatic in her recital of Goethe’s “Erl King,” and as an encore raised hearty laughter by the recital of her experiences “At the Dentist’s.” Nor was the element of remedy lacking. Messrs. E. J. Hill, R. R. Orr, and H. Cook sang Alfred Hill’s clever setting of “Three Blind Mice,” Mr. Norm in Aitken was most amusing in hie musical monologues, whilst the comic onslaughts of Mr. Albert Ruesell convulsed the audience. Miss Nesta Carwell-Cooke was a complete artistic success in tho classic dance to Tschaikovsky’s music, Mid was also responsible for the “Dorothea” gavotte. The accompaniments were played by Mr. Harold Whittle, with the exception of Mr. Russell’s items, which were accompanied by Mrs. Russell. Mr. Barton Ginger made an efficient stage manager, and Mr. J. Campbell an active secretary. At the opening the Mayor of the Hutt (Mr. W. T. Strand) made a few appropriate remarks, in which he congratulated the proprietors on having provided the Hutt with an up-to-date, commodious, and well furnished theatre, suitable for any class of entertainment. n he Hutt was progressing very rapidly, and it was in the order of things that they should have such a fine theatre. Tie trusted it would have a successful career, and that they would all be spared to spend many happy hours within its walls. The directors of the company flashed their hearty appreciation on tho screen eo that all could read. The new theatre has a fine dre.se circle, it Tuis hern completely reseated, and is now acoustically sound, which v-as not hitherto the case. The Bristol Piano Company were kind enough to lend a full concert Steinway grand for the concert. This is the first occasion on which such a pianoforte has been used publicly in the Hutt Valley. A flash-light photograph of the audience was taken during the interval.