ENTHUSIASTIC FAREWELL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 715, 15 July 1929, Page 15

ENTHUSIASTIC FAREWELL

KENTUCKY SINGERS DEPART The Kentucky Jubilee Singers, the eight coloured vocalists who delighted audiences at His Majesty’s Theatre all last week, were given a tumultuous farewell on Saturday night. Kncores were frequent in response to lnsiatunc demands from the packed house. in« company included a splendid ®tep dancer, whose energetic display lea to an enthusiastic recall. The programme was in three parts, the first a scene on the plantation, a "camp meetin” in progress gave an opportunity for the singing or a number of negro “spirituals” and plantation melodies, including the favourite, “Old Black Joe.” Several of the younger men had decided to join up with the forces going overseas, ana the next scene followed logically witn songs in a dugout “somewhere in France.” Bursting shells and rat" tat-at of machine guns in the ground gave a startling air of reaillj • Scene three was a modern one*, tne company, in evening dress, being grouped around the grand piano, although it was only in the closing National Anthem that it was used. The unaccompanied voices heard 1 such unusual stage settings were tielightful, the accompanying voices in the solo items sounding at times Ilk® deep organ in the distance. ±11 »*; tenor and deep bass did their share it bringing out the melody of the simpi tunes.