THE C.K.B. MINSTRELS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1407, 19 August 1878, Page 3

THE C.K.B. MINSTRELS.

There was an excellent house on Saturday night at the Theatre Royal to welcome the most recent aspirants for popular favor—the Cheevers, Kennedy, and Bent Minstrels. The company appeared under some disadvantage, having just come off a long tiring railway journey, and singing in a Btrange place, but still they achieved a decided success, and established themselves at once as favorites with their audience. Mr W. H. Bent is well kuown hero as one of the best of the negro comedians who have visited Christchurch, and the welcome he received on Saturday night showed that Christchurch people do not easily forget old favorites. Mr Cheevers and Mr Kennedy made their debut before a Christchurch audience on Saturday evening, but they are in every respect bo thoroughly good in their business as to create a most favorable impression. Indeed one act of theirs is so astonishing in its rapidity of change of costume, dialect, &c, as to be almost incredible. The opening part introduced to the audience the various members of the company, who possess some very excellent voices. A compact and most efficient orchestra, under the baton of Mr Martin Simonsen, rendered the opening overture with spirit and precision. Mr J. Drayton was the first of the vocalists, and he was very successful in a pretty ballad. He has a good baritone voice with plenty of expression, and sings with taste and feeling. Mr E. F. Koper sang a sentimental ballad well, but he was not in as good voice as on previous occasions. Mr T. Campbell, who was here some time back with the U. S. Ministrels, was heard to great advantage in his song " Sweet chiming His voice is very pure and melodious, besides which he is a thorough musician. Mr Vernon Eeid, who sang " The sweet bye and bye," very nicely, possesses an excellent tenor voice, and sang the melody with much expression. The funny element, in the hands of Messrs Cheevers and Bent, was never allowed to flag, their sayings and doings being characterised by a large amount of dry humor. The two Bongs suug by them were exceedingly funny, and Mr Bent's orations were far above the average in point of wit. In the second part Messrs Cheevers and Kennedy introduced a specialty act, which is one of the best that has been given here. They first appear as a German couple, Mr Cheevers' make up for the lady being excellent. After a song and dance they disappear for a few seconds and re-appear as two natives of the Emerald Isle. The last change is to negroes, with black faces and coßtume complete, the rapidity with which this ia effected being wonderful. In this act they sing a very pretty little song, and go through the most extraordinary featß in the matter of dancing. They received the compliment of a double encore, which the cleverness displayed by them richly deserved. Mr Drayton sang "Wrecked and Saved " very nicely, and the clarionette obligato to this was well played. Mr Vernon Reid was so successful in his rendering of " My Pretty Jnne " that he had to comply with an enthusiastic oncoro by singing "Let me like a soldier fall" in first-class style. The dancing of Messrs Cheevers and Kennedy in the double Jig was capital, and the two sketches, especially the concluding one, fairly brought down the house. Altogether the minstrels may be congratulated upon having made a very successful first appearance, and no doubt their season will be an excellent one. One of the pianos manufactured by Cutler and Co. was used on the occasion, and an opportunity thus afforded of judging of its quality. The minstrels repeat the same programme this evening.