THE PARSONAGE ENTERTAINMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 51, 26 June 1880, Page 2

THE PARSONAGE ENTERTAINMENT.

As we p'ecicied, the enie'tatnn^e.nt given m aid of, the Pa sonage Fund on Wednesday. nigJt proved bj far the most successful and enioyabJe of any of the ter;es, the pro* gramme, baring been prepared m a mann«winch left iiothrog to be desired. W« n9, ticed tbat | most pleasiig innovation had been m. educed, whicb, m a, gre.at measu^ obv'ated ..he neco i s:itv. of ma\v gle.es, and 'vat is. hav'ng the whole strength of t'ae. company -if we may so torm, the lingers — to jo'a m i he chorines. Th's a~ rangemen.t 1)3 » a moit p'ess'ng effect, as it gives t Joie i vr 10 are fonc! of conceited singing an opp,o ...j ij of enjo^inoj it, whMe it a'so aupplieti th« soloist with cou age and bi.'eath'ng lime. The. snter.tain.ueit opened with a p ; anofo:te solo, by M.ias ' Sker.raanj bat we, bave bo oftei wj-fcte.n m such flattei'-ng terns of the ericellence of" the; iust.v'umenfcaifioa of t'jat lady, tbat to do so now would he nic/c reite ai'oi) ; soffice)Jt to say that on Wed leadav even 'og abe fai.-ly excelled herself. i'B'ip glee wlilch followed — " Smoe first Ibaw jour i'ace," was capitally given, aud was i jo.cneme)r superioT to that m the^ sepoad pa t, " Here's a, health to aH lfl/tWi," whiuh. was pprt'ouia- 1^ wea^ ill tae mule reapooVes. The sport ; ng %ong, ■•''D, 'jTc, Puppy, Dr'ak," noiwithatanding its booewhat peculiar appePai!oQ,was, a* it de«e. ved to' "be, moat favo.ably received, aat'. as a test ofjii* enduring po^u'acity we may state th.at a'l over the town oae now be?J % » fbvitat'ons f.otn juven'le bipeds of ihe spec'es to tbeK' cao^ne fr'ends to libate. '.'iloQked m the O.adle of the. Beep," served to intvoduce to a Pttlmeraton aadiecce W>n SftaclHand^, y? un^ w'l! befouiid. to bjO % m.6*t Talc^aixle fl,oomiti« tloiJi uppa tach occasions ; lov although, as might bave b«en expected, &he suffered consideiably from- ntrvoasness, it was quite •fitJen^ difficult though the song is, she unc'er other circumstances, quite equal to it, a^nd we *eel convinced that those pre- , B,et»t will look; forward with much pleasure to •'•i' i-e-Eppearance. The song and chorus, •''Dowa by tb a . deep, sad sea," was one of tbe'besi '-if 'inot really the best item of the eufce^'ia'dinent— for not only was Mr ; . SJade ii , : ezce]jent rpke, .. . but the cbpvus was ofe'ci'ted m,; a manner. '■ which gave.' eV'deace' of careful practice, IJt was simply grand, and that one song alpne would, amply rer»»y an attendance. Mr, .Batch elan's star.,wa,s eyiden.tly m the, ascendant on Wednesday, for he appeared on tti stage fwish from; o»e victory, only to score *notlier;'the verdict upon his rendering of

ip| most pronounced. The dijfttt, " Come o'er the moonlit sea," received ample ju»^ic» from Mrs. Ktel ; pg and Miss Young, and was warmly app!eude£. $lie inspHtlng recUatlon, "Tot tb^;^Rb;j?fl," wts^aJfe.^jd^^eff^j^r.'Maqiftsalao, Ariel lioiyr'-ihfo.somg ib«f eitreni# ■ Isvgih, j-w'as recitecl-^T^.jout" ftiop Jeiff stpiaimfto. As a rule r#.cite.d p'ec.e.l f a yob g^enefally accpptalt'e at eQiev;>."j?^in};it»i J '*4d the fact t'iat Dr. Maclach'jaa waf^abiij encbaln the atteottoo of bis audience for »uch a yerj con*ide: c ab!e t'me, was an_ unmißtakeabJe te^t p,f ihe, escelleiice of the delivery. Mo,.s{; persons who essay to recite poetical pieces make, the context subs r dkiy I to theiv des c to -ieai' t.?e rythn) j'ngle,, the cooseq^ence byvg that -they b;: : t>g out by emphas T * the Us! wordof eacWline, to the frotal de&L ucc'p'.i of the se.nse of tbe authos. Tbii v.a» a misiake which, Dv. Maclachlan cavefnlly pjotded, and m qrder to properly por*tray toe meaning of each sentftnee, the poet) 1 / at tiinei became blank versej. We do not.koow Vat efEect the piece I^ad upon i"ae sons of a col>a to whom it was orig'nallv adcl eased, but &uoh a mo» ; ng appeal to a, 'Hibern'an crowd' woulc!"c«r"af.aly bill jiimatt ia soiae. eicit'og fun. We bave he?>d tae rec'tei; on uiaay pi'ovious occasions, btit but neyor to sucl) advantage as on 'Wpdnwday evening. Tbe Rvalty little soag, '' You and I," which Miss 4Ur» May, has immortalispd, fell to the .lot pf Mis^H. Young, and was sung with a taste and feeling quite. ,ia ieep'ng .with the. . simiilic^ty pf the g'ece.' • That nautical gam, "Larboard Watqh," was inagß'ficeritly rendered by Mess «.' Slade ahd Baichelar, the contest pf the two voices admirably su''tiaf tpat glp -ious dcet. , Tbe^fii-Jt pjv:tjof/tb.e ettteiirtaiiajaent Q.ip»e4 with the song, •• "Teste.day," wh'ih &t its name would indicate, is siuipk hobh ia language and melodyj aad consequent? y, the pathftic f«e)-'ng witn which it t?Bs readered . \y M^s. E«elii)g, \tp.-> qu : te : n coaso nance -with the plain lire a?us'cacc. J'breoto. . , The aecood po ion of the opeoeti u't.'.i a p : poofo<ve dues, executed ia a mof>fc inai'.e At. inaanetv |^y thtt Mis§es : Skermaa and At '.in^on, followed by "A^toa Waie-" by M-». Sn»l»oa, who was i 4 excel-; Je/iit TPJcji, sud did fcjU jatLice. tQ the g'vfttsy; b,3!lac|. T!>e. fte io-comic song, "SaaU I> wasting ?a despau I ,'' wa;S humovou.^y (Iteu; by M". Pot'eyio,. who enjoyed tbe a reenl l . Tbe n^agn-ficent duet ''C'ertt^e b'P ; . o'er 'the dale," -was one .of tl te be»t' ite.in* ot thei.e ire.il" ag, and the Misses Y«ung: weie, at its conclusion, h.e.a-.tily app, auu.ee.. I'oe fine old song "The Village Blackjsioua" was > e-kins— ageatieinfiu^ao mute h»s bow on Wei'ae3day n'gat fo/. tbe fi.st lime — a'tjd although he was pa- Ivcula ''y no. sous dunng the fL*t wie,-the pp^lauW w,i'ch he }'ecelved seemed to p gtre him heart;' aad he sang the. two. concluding verses ia «l mnaner w'uicb. took every one by surprise^ He possesses a capital ba • jton.e, and ajtho ugh at foe commeacenaenfc it* toi?e~~W6s— odmo-^ wbat forced and husky, befce he -had fini%he.C,' a.» wft hay.c. s%id A b,e. gay.c. tl^e fXfci, ence a p'.oof of his real ability — «!iich we aye glaa to say wi'l be found a most vain-. able ar'dit'on to tl'e, sioging power of Paimerslo.j. Tbe. next item pa tie .proga iime Be ve,d to inb'oduce a young lady — Mits Bu-re!l —never pi'eviou9)y heavu upon a Palmerston stage. T'.'e. song ". Echoes " was onecf tue sweetest rendered dujingthe entevta : nmeat, and tli.o natural timidity and nervousness of tbe fair s'nger was a decicled advantage, ratber than a drawback. The mus : cal portion of toe programme, was tlien Bupplemeated by the- introduction of %:■ readi ig by Mr. Allan Skerman, but we must confess we do not tbink that gentleman made a vevy happy selection, for although the piece was supposed to be facetious/ it was on the' conti-ary 'd'y ;nthe strictest sensßof tbe. te.rm, and left no scop.c wbateyor for a disp l ay of those abilities wbich Mr. Skerman is said to posaess. The songs " My Lass" by Mr. Slade, aud " Dowa the Qlen" by Mr. Wation conc?uded the programme, and tppugnt to- a close one of tile most, if not really the most successful and enjoyable. coocei-tB ever held m Palme.'ston. The task of presiding at toe p/aop was tits ed during tbe evea'ag by H«. Hpifci, and the. M'sses Skeiman aod Ati.'asoi, while My. Prank Kjow-es acted as] mastej.of C.B.' eruon ; e,s, and did toe hoaors for tlie ladiej w>ia chat ease and g-aceforwihleh a» "» bo reaiarka^e. W"e th'.'k we expvessthe oo'o'on oE everr pe-.'%on wbo wtspiesent m say^og ija 1 .— wiih the exception of an I'aneceM? v-de?ay -between aaoh, item— the was everything that oou'd be wished,- andtliat ia notvty or town fa the colour could a more e.a;;.cias progam^mjebe. provided pb so sma 1 ! a cba^ge* . We. aro pkasefA i-' t ca 1 b fvoavMrs. J^k^ca^o% UT\deu. whoie ausp'ecs the entertainme.n.t was g've*. t"iat pecirn'avy spjeak.lng oonpert lus been the g"eatast success of the series, as it be. ta'jly. was otherwise. ! J ,'..,: ■ ;