ELOCUTIONARY RECITAL
MR. ALEXANDER WATSON’S ART A striking - lesson in the arts of clear diction, pronunciation and force of expression was presented to the large audience that tilled the Town Hall concert chamber last evening, by Mr. Alexander Watson, the distinguished English elocutionist, who opened his season on his last New Zealand tour. A past-master in elocutionary art. the performer gripped the interest of his audience by his recitals of both prose and verse by the most noted of English playwrights and modern poets. With faultless technique, enhanced by a wealth of strikingly effective facial expression, commanding gesture, and knowledge of dialect he presented selections from Sir J. M. Barrie’s famous story the “Little Minister,” principally dealing with the adventures of the name character, Gavin, and the Gipsy. Cleverly interspersing the characterisations of the Scottish life of the people with narrative, the performer invested the delightfully dry humour of the many sparkling paswith a freshness that provoked much laughter. The second portion of the recital was devoted to verse, largely of the light and frolicsome kind, which he recited with all his art of skilful intonation and voice inflexion. In marked contrast to this verse was Mr. Watson’s vivid interpretation of Walter de la Mare’s beautiful poem, ‘ The Listeners,” which the performer treated with the restrained quietness the words conveyed. It was a remarkable performance that held the house enthralled. The satirical humour of * Harry Graham was delightfully presented by Mr. Watson in a couple of selections, “The Millionaire” and “The Actor,” from ‘The World’s Workers.” The subtlety of the poet’s shafts of humour lost nothing in the performer’s recital. A poet of “Punch” fame, A. P. Herbert was presented to the audience in “Laughing Jane.” one of the best of “A.P.’s verse. With a full appreciation of the lightness and gladness of running lines and their humour, Mr. Watson recited the poem in sparkling style, the interpretation evoking warm applause. Children’s verse from the pen of the talented poet, A. A. Milne, including new selections from “Now We Are Six” and “When We Were Very Young,” figured among the most delightful performances of the evening, and at the conclusion of the recital the applause was prolonged to such an extent that Mr. Watson was compelled to respond with a further number. Tonight Mr. Watson will give his second recital. The programme will include John Masefield’s thrilling narrative poem, “The Everlasting Mercy.” The author has made a special abridgement of the poem for Mr. Watson ,who will also give a number of miscellaneous selections, mostly humrous. Tomorrow night will be devoted to a Ivipling recital, and on Friday afternoon a special programme for school children will be presented. Despite the alleged Hollywood penchant for divorce and the giddy roles Joan Crawford has played so successfully, preparations for the celebration of her first year of married life to Douglas Fairbanks, junr., are understood to be under* way.
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Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 14
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486ELOCUTIONARY RECITAL Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 14
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