“TWA’ HOURS AT HAME.”

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 93, 27 March 1884, Page 2

“TWA’ HOURS AT HAME.”

There was a very good attendance at Parnell and Boylan’s Hall on Tuesday evening to welcome Mr. Kennedy and his family on making their first appearance to a Poverty Bay audience, all classes of the community being fairly represented from the clergyman to the schoolboy, and any one who watched the faces of the audience, could derive almost as much amusement from a study of their different “ phisogs,” as listening to the humorous stories of Mr. Kennedy, whose inimitable style of cracking jokes, interspersed with touches of deep pathos, quite carried away those of the audience who had never had the pleasure of hearing him before, whilst those who had previously enjoyed that pleasure in days gone by unanimously decided “ There’s life in the old boy yet.” Mr. Kennedy still is, in spite of increased years, a host in himself, and his style of introducing each song, either by some humorous remark or otherwise, as the case might require, and also giving a free translation of some of the most uncommon Scottish idioms, enabled those of his hearers who were not versed in Scottish lore or poetry to thoroughly enjoy and understand the song that followed. Being quite master of the situation he never fails to take advantage of any passing event and to extract amusement therefrom. This he did not fail to do on Tuesday night when, just as he was about to commence his humorous story of “ The Coortship of Saunders M’Glashan,” four gentlemen stalked out (evidently by their clatter more at home tramping over a run, than in a public hall), and quite drowned his voice. He sat quietly down until they had retired, when in a quiet dry manner he related how, on one occasion, he was giving an entertainment on the Diamond Fields of South Africa, when he announced, about the middle, that there would be “ no interval until the encl,” and to his astonishment nearly the whole of the audience cleared out. But the next day he was enlightened as to the cause of this sudden exodus by being informed that no one in that part of the country could, under any circumstances, exist for more than an hour without taking a richt-guid-willie-waught,” and he added that, the peculiar! ity was evidently not confiir d to the land of the Hottentot, although he was pleased to find that it was not so universal in Gisborne. Had Mr. Kennedy been acquainted with

the names of those who were sitting on a form which suddenly broke down he would probably have turned the same into fun, and exclaimed “ Locli(e)t bolts and bars thus fly asunder,” and some witty allusion that those who had the cares of representation resting on their shoulders should build on a more solid foundation. Mr. Robert Kennedy has a clear tenor voice of excellent quality, and forcibly reminded us of that prince of English ballad singers—Sims Reeves—in his rendering of that very difficult song “The Death of Nelson,” every word being distinctly enunciated, and not slurred over as we have often heard done. He also gave, in grand style, those stirring Scottish songs, “ The March of the Cameron Men,” and “ The McGregor’s Gathering.” The voices of the three Misses Kennedy soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto, blended beautifully in the trios, “ The blue bells of Scotland,” “Mo run geal dileas,” and “Weel ma}’ the keel row,” especially in the piano rendering of the latter, which was most vociferously encored, and which they responded to by giving “ The Birks o’ Aberfeldy. The solos given by these young ladies were thoroughly appreciated and heartily encored, especially “ O, gin I were where Gladie tins,” by Miss Maggie Kennedy. Both the arrangement, of pianoforte duets, “Reels and Strathspeys,” by Miss Marjory Kennedy, and their execution by this young lady and her sister, elicited universal applause. The “ Nicht wi’ Burns” proved no less interesting, and fully sustained their reputation, and we strongly advise all our readers who wish to spend a pleasant evening not to miss the opportunity of hearing Mr. Kennedy and his talented family before they leave, or we can assure them they will miss a great treat.