PRESBYTERIAN' CONCERT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 90, 23 April 1913, Page 6

PRESBYTERIAN' CONCERT.

AX ENJOYABLE ENTERTAINMENT

Those Stratford residents who were fortunate enough nob to miss the very pleasant entertainment provided by the local members of the Presbyterian Church at the Church hall last evening are to be congratulated. The concert was given for the purpose of providing funds for the Sunday School Library, and. was even a greater success than was anticipated, the seating accommodation being severely taxed, some of the late-comers, indeed, having to stand throughout the performance. There was one regrettable incident,'" however, which tended to mur some of the enjoyment, and that was that certain young people at the back of the hall were rather noisy. It is -not for -a. moment suggested that those referred to should not have their fun, bjit whispering and .laughing during an item* not only affects the enjoyment of the audience but also upsets the performer, and is to be deprecated. No doubt the fun was in good part,and no harm was meant, but possibly some may benefit by, this slight admonition. The programme was excellent and varied, encores being the order of the evening, Mr Wilkie was at the,top of his form in ‘’‘Murphy Shall not Sing To-night.” To have heard the,.hearty , laughter produced by this,recitation would have convinced .the veriest doubter of . the presence of .a great deal of latent Scotch humour, which would not be, denied an encore. ..Mr Wilkie’s .natural instincts proclaim him a mime in the fullest sense of the word. Mrs Nolan, of Toko, has a. rich contralto voice with a. very good range, which she used effectively, in.,, Newton’s “Time’s Roses,” and Schlozzi’s “Buskeen,” two songs which suit her voice admirably. Miss Ida Holford, a finished sbprapo, gave a very good interpretation of that beautiful lullaby song “A Slumber-Sea,’.' Miss Holford, who is a pupil of Mr Spencer Lorraine, will be heard, of again in musical circles. Miss Holford also sang “BabyClover,” and the Misses, Bayly and Holford sang very pleasingly. Miss Rogers’ violin solo “Simple Avre,” was exquisitely rendered and deservedly encored. The best of the male performers ; was undoubtedly -Mr W. H. Douglas, whose “Midshipmite” was well sung. He also sang “The River of Ye'ars,” and was encored on each occasion, but his time in “The. Veteran's, Song,” an encore item, .\vas. {father ,too fast. Mr. A. de L. Jones Inis.-a very , fine natural voice, which with the necessary training would dci vClop; into,, a full rich ’ -baritone. He 1 ! must,): however, to be a fsucoesS, cpn[fifu’eivb his;;'diffidence in' public, sang ‘‘The Mighty: Deep” and “Fiddle and I,’,’; eaclp of which .was encored. Mr Hale -is a good singer, but has been heard to much, ■better advantage in\Stratford than he was last evening, when he was apparently not in his pliial form. His singing was, however,, most correct in technique. Other performers were 1 Miss’ »Ngaia Wilson! (pianoforte, sqlo),", and-;.; Miss 'MC'Ka^l. fvyho also sang,, and was. encored; and the Rev., Mr Pattison, who, to use his own words; gave “a modest little recitation” concerning tli interment of one, Moses. Mias Bayly made an excellent accompanist.