LABOUR NIGHT CONCERT.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 October 1917, Page 4

LABOUR NIGHT CONCERT.

The concert held in the Town. Hall last night in aid of the Catholic Bazaar funds was very well altered, though the rain, which set in before 8 o’clock must have militated to some extent against the attendance. The thanks of music-lovers are due to the organisers of the concert for the introduction to Taihape of vocalists who would have graced platforms in any city in New Zealand, and the number of encore s demanded was the measure of the appreciation .of tde audience. The programme opened with a pianoforte by Mrs Peyton, but the number was too brief to allow of the display of the executant powers the pinist possesses. A song and story “Kimberley/* j by Mr Stephens was very acceptable* Miss May Fuller, of Auckland, made her initial appearance in Taihape with Batton’s “Nightingale,” which she sang with taste and expression. She had to respond to an imperative enat the conclusion of which she was the recipient of a floral tribute, A violin-cello solo, “My Dream,” By Mr Shanly, of Wanuganui, was next number. Miss Teresa McEYroefis appearance on the stage was the signal for applause, her reputation having preceded her. “Spring’s Awakening” was the piece and her rendition of this somewhat exacting song stamped her at once as a vocalist of a high order. She possesses a very rich and sweet soprano, even, throughout its register, and beautifully under conrtol, added to which she has the charm of a thorough musical temperament Her enunciation and intonation are object lessons to amateur vocalists. She was vociferously encored, and responded with “Wake Up.” Mr Ireland sang a song “The King’s Navy,” descriptive of the battle in the great North Sea, and he was recalled. Miss Mary McKeowu is no stranger to Taihape audiences, and, though evidently suffering from a cold ; her vocalisation of B'atton’s “April Morn” was quite artisticallyrendered, and she had to comply with an undeniable encore, in which, she ■w£s even .more successful. Miss Olive Wallace essayed the dramatic story of- “Lasca,” which ’is ' a piece , makes exceptional demands on 111© : elocutibnary and dramatic powers of the finished elocutionist. In the encore njimber, “Grandma will pay ” Miss Wallace was _ completely sue-' cessful. In the quaint little story or I Mary, a new hat, and a kiss price, of which Grandma wi pay) Miss Wallace was charmingly natural and artless. “A Song of Thanksgiving.” by Mrs Longhnan was most tastefully sung,' the number suiting her voice admirably. A clamant encore was conceded. Mr Shanly possesses a sweet tenor the old .favourite “Thou Art so Near” being his programme number, which he sang correctly, if somewhat colourlessly. He responded to an encore, singing “Nirvana.” BV special request Miss Kathleen Blomfield tributed an Irish in the finished style how familiar to Taihape audiences. The second part of the programme opened with “The Baby/*' by Mrs Dowling, whic h was well received by the audience, and she had to respond to an encore.. Mr, Stan. Feyton provided the humorous part of theprogramme in hi s inimitable style with “Let’s Have a Day with the Ladies/’ and had to return, giving “I’m Awfully glad I met you,” but the audience, like Oliver Twist, wanted and Mr Peyton “Didn’t Know What To Do.” Miss McEnroe’s appearance on the stage was the signal for much applause, her item being the ever-welcome “Come Back to Erin,~which was sung with a power and pathos that appealed to every Irishman present. In response to an encore she contributed “A Dainty Littl© Damosel,” but still the audience would not let her go ? and she sang “The Minstrel Boy.” The applause which, followed was so prolonged that shebowed her acknowledgments, but her admirers were not to he denied, and she good-humouredly sang “The Birthday,” Mr Barry, of Ohakune, recited “Devil-may-Care” in a very dramatic and finished manner, and as a recall number contributed “The Game of Life.” Miss McKeown sang very sweetly Thomas Moore’s “B'eliev© Me.” Perhaps her most successful item was the encore number “The Irish which was sung with charming simplicity and expression. She also contributed a verse of the quaintly pretty song “You’ll Get there in the Morning.” “The Man Who Carries a G/n,” by Mr Stephens, took immensely with the audience His choice of an encore item was unfortunate—“ Coming Home” is not a comic song. Miss Fuller was Quite successful in her rendition of that pretty Irish ballad “Molly Bawn/’and in the encore "Not Really.” A *©eUo solo, “Simple Aveu|^ W as playejf by Mr Shanly. A Russian dance (in costume) by Miss Blomfield was rendered in first-class artistic manner. Mrs S. Peyton played the accompaniments throughout the evening in her usual finished and sympathetic manner ,