ENTERTAINMENTS. MUSICAL UNION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 86, 12 April 1911, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS. MUSICAL UNION.

BACH'S PASSION MUSIC. The "Wellington Musical Union gave Bach's Passion music at the Town Hall last evening. The audience, if not lazge, was most sympathetic. The work 13 'eminently one unsuited for performance outside a church, and, beautiful though it is, is apt to become wearisome • even in* an ecclesiastical setting. Whereas in oratorios, as a general rule, the recitative is subordinate to the solos and choruses, and in any case ie but a connecting link- between the one and the other, in the Passion music it is the predominating feature. Spoken rather than sung, it is possible that it would serve the useful purpose of bringing tho solos and choruses into high relief. It would not, then, of course, be Bach. The tunes may or may not be out of joint, but they do not encourage the. perpetuation of archaisms. Plainly, the long "narration" in the Paesion mnsic is to-day boresome. Abridged though the work wa3 last evening, it contained some twenty-five recitatives all allotted to the tenor as the narrator. This may not have been thought too much by the soloist, but it might b& so for hia hearers. Again, it is a trifle tiresome for one man to 6ing, "and he said,'' and for another to jump up and sing what "he" eaid. Sequence, c£ course, is secured, but at the price of patience. For the performance itself too much praise cannot be given to the conductor, Mr. Robert Parker. The opening chorus, "Come, Ye Daughters," lacked spirit, and -was hesitantly given, but for the rest of the choral work, and particularly the chorales, the tune, attack, and finish, light and shade, were , most praiseworthy. "My Sin it "r^ which Bound Thee" was beautifully eung. In. that one word, " Bar^ab^s i-> the choir showed that it was th^ouffhlv acquainted with its duties, arvd it °dis j -Jhaxged them accordingly. '£ke effect Was very fine The other ciiozuses were extremely well sung. Tho soloists were Dr. K'ngton Fyffe, j tenor (the Narrator) ; Me. C. Clarkson bass (Jesus Christ) ; yiexsr<i V V Waters and F W. La, >O ck (baiaphas, Judas, and Peter). X'^ con tralto eolos | were given to Miss May Driscoll, and the soprano to M> JS Glad s W^ kins .Dr. lyftes enunciation was excellent, every word was •te be > Wd> but soloist was ovo-rweighted, so much so that when li<y came to the solo « With Jesus I Will, "Watch and Pray » he manifestly v^ed, and there was still much wor* before him. But— and if j 8 counted ivato any singer for righteousness—He. py fle alway6 Mfc what he sang. • Mr- Qlarkson sang in good taste from be^tFjang to end. His was a, reverent co^eption of his part, and, moreover, he iWjd his fine voice with exquisite care &ad sound- judgment. Miss Driscoll was | more' at ease in "Have Mercy Upoo Me" than elsewhere in the work. She sang with much feeling and expression, also with profound respect for the nature of the number. Miss Watkins san<* very sweetly enough, also with intellfgence, but it was most difficult, apart from the printed words, to understand abont what she was singing. The words in this particular case rank in importance with the music. "Jesus, I Am Thine" was otherwise admirably sung. The organ part was, artistically played by Mr. A. W. V. Vine— really sound fflusicianly work. The "strings" (Mr. Herbert Bloy, k^der) also acquitted themselves with distinction. Mrs. E. D Lacheinailie played the piano accompaniments 3a commendable taste. "T.HE GIRL FROM RECTOR'S." "The Girl from Rector's" looked in at the Opera House last evening (fox one night only) with her party -of friends and 1 relations, and made high merriment for something like two and a. half hours. The involved situations, the extravagantly humorous entanglelaents' and side issues which make up the framework of this diversion, are all provocative of laughter, and the audience followed the fun throughout with a great zest. All the company did excellently, j To-night t'he company will appear in a, double bill, when Mr. Ward will introduce his London success, a fantastic pantomime sketch, the "Scarecrow." The story is delightful and fascinating. Wben .Humpty Dumptv" as a whole is half-forgotten, one figus will stand out appealingly, pleasantly, boldly— the halfwiumsical "Scarecrow." This is the real individual of the character. Tho -'Scarecrow," in spite of his quainfness, his humorous invertebratiness, and his wonderful dancing, is a' pathetic figure, and Mr. Ward has a method which is great and makes one scream too. "The Scarecrow" -will be staged in conjunction witih the record laughter-makin<r farco "A Bachelor's , Honoymoon," which was so popular when last produced in Auckland. In this play Mr. Ward will have the assistance of the full strength of the company. The season concludes to-morrow evening. "THE BAD GIRL OF THtf FAMILY." "The Bad Girl of the Family. will make her first appearance at tho Opera Mouse on Saturday next, under the auspices of Mi-. George Marlow's dramatic Company. The company includes euch names as Messrs. Herbert Bentley C. R. Stanford.. Tom Cumin, 1. V. Scully, Herbert Linden. Tilton, ?5 h ea ?y> am] :Xiis£ - B Ada Guildford Ida (.TiTsham, Lillian Wiseman, Addie Kelly, and Ida Jenkinson. A matinee will be given on Erster Monday. THE WANDERERS. Ths manors cv Mr. George StspLoitsoii „ nrw JL-.Jhh attraction, The Wanderers, arii\eJ irom £.;,-clkcj tills moinin^, im'l will iiiauKii!aC: " their seven units' scacon at the Town Hall en b-u-iifdvy :w.tl. Ii Miss Phvll^ ilo^vrocdI'olta, tl-e bu'lliant -oc'.Ay cnvoAamer, in. r.ia2i::i_;2nunt posses.: an arci-ic- of ao'i:tj. llrr t lever ' monok-e-.io and pir.iio.ort2 skatcues' ard lctituls l\T»e cren,3cl a veiy favoina'ulc jn:pr3;j.ion in Aus.iaiia. The \.hoie ejilcrtKini.ioni; is d«3^rib;-d as bdii:^ of a dcridedlv novel character, and has the aJiibionnf charm of originality and ref'iicir.ent. Tne plan is now open at he Die^den. THEATRE ROYAL. TLis currrm programme at tlic Theatre Royal tl'-> v,eek it, very good vaudeville in<iced. Theio are the Jtacoonj, a team ol vciy clever comedy acrobats (not fovgcitbg iho tiog); jj'iss ]\lnbel Fooler, the ui.u-miiig soprano vocaliat; and the ingenious liogers Quartette. The rest of tho company lends ample support. GOOD FRIDAY, THEATRE ROYAL. Following , their usual custom, the Messrs. Fuller will give a Biograph entertainmont at the Theatre Royal on Good Fiiday night. The programme will will include the same pictures as shown au His Majesty's, and a duplicate plant has been installed for the occasion. Tho items will comprise scenic, sacred, classical, and dramatic studies. FULLERS' SKATING RINK. At 2 o'clock this afternoon Messrs. John Fuller and Sons opened the doors of the Vivian-street Rink for the winter «vason of skating. The recent addition of a large numbeT of coloured lamps in the building will -add materially- to the attractiveness of tho rink. A large orchestra'has been engaged, " ,

THE Km-G'S. THEATRE. This week's programme at The King's Theatre is, as usual, first-class, and th© i house is well filled nightly. The scenic 1 pictures are some of the best that have yet been shown. On Friday night there will be a special programme of art aud scenic pictures, and a series of the same subjects will be shown at the Town Hall the same evening. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. This popular place of amusement was again well filled last night, and the excellent programme of pictures was greatly appreciated. Among the best are "Carrots and Caterpillars" (the life history of a butterfly), "Picturesque Scenes, Cambodia," "Broncho Bill," and "Historic Spots in Old London." There will be a change of programme to-mor-row, night. STAR PICTURES. There was a laige attendance at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, last evening, when the current! programme of the Star Pictures was reeled off.' There will be another presentation this evening. THE NEW THEATRE. Preparations are well advanced for the inaugural performance on Saturday night of the continuous picture entertainment which Messrs. MacMahon and Donnelly will introduce for the first time in the Dominion. ) The theatre, which is nearing completion, is situated in Manners-street. ,On Easter Monday the continuous, idea will be established. The management has decided upon a general policy of cheap admission, viz., adults sixpence, all over the house, children nalt-p^fice. CLASSICAL CONCERT. M. Eugene Ossipoff, the Russian baritone, will give a classical recital at the Opera House on Good Friday evening, | -under the direction of Messrs. Macmahon Bros, and Mr. W. H. Williamson. As this will be the last opportunity of hearing this artist, he will doubtless have a very large attendance. Ossipoffs de- | clamatory and emotional powers make him an interesting and attractive figure on the concert platform! He will be a&sistcd by other artists, and a varied programme wilj be presented, including scenes from Rubenstein's famous opera "Demos," in which Miss Renee Lees will interpret the part "Angel" and M. Ossipoff the part' of "Demon." Seats may be reserved at the Dresden. CENTRAL MISSION BAND. A very enjoyable concert was given in the Wesley Hall last evening by the Central Mission Band. Items were con- : tributed to the programme by Misses Muriel Bennett, Lulu Arnold, and Eva I Ward, and Messrs. T. C. Newton, P. Addis, F. Baker, H. P. Weston, and G. Baker. Band selections were "Don John," "Songs of Balfe," and "Kenilworth." In the course of a short ad- j dress, the Mayor, Mr. T. M. Wilford, who presided, complimented the band on the good work it was doing in the city. <