Visit of Miss Jessie Maclachlan.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7955, 19 October 1905, Page 2

Visit of Miss Jessie Maclachlan.

WELCOME TO NEW PLYMOUTH. Tho welcome, planned *i>y a few oval Scots and othor) oHi/tii??, to l Miss Jessie Maclachlan, ffio famous t vocalist, on her arrival at Near 3 My- \ nouth oh Wednesday morntfig was t very hearty, ami it was'evident thai). ( Ihe visitor much appreciated the 1 pretty compliment. On the arrival I, of jj train the station plat/formi', was throngvd with tho public. Miss i MacTachlan, "a, bonnic -dark-eyed! 1 laftsio," was accompanied by Messrs 1 John MeLimlen ('cello virtuoso-) ami Robert Buchanan (solo pianist l ).' After the usual introduclions, | The .Mayor (Mr -11. Cook) expressed) his j;reat pleasure on behalf of the| citizens gem-rally in welcoming the dljitin'ft'iritflw.'d • I visitor J,to this town ami district. Ito trusted that her 'Visit would be profitable, anil that tho beautiful views and scenery of district would be a. source d enjoymvnt to her. The Mayor tvdd-L-d that he must apologise f»r nut being able to welcome Miss Mactaehlan in (Jaelic, as it had been hw lot to be brought up among-st the native toi of N«w V/ealaml, and not the -heather of old Scotland, but Messrs Paul and Fraser would i worthily represent the Scotch resi-,

dents of Taranaki. Mr Jas. Paul said that on behalf of tlie few Scotch people' here ho des red to tender Miss Maclachtan a very cordial welcome. He assurud the visitor that, it afforded them a great deal of pleasure lo welcome so worthy a representative, of their dear old Scotland. He jwas .'quite sure their pleasure was shared by their Sassenach friends, as was evidenced by th<£ large assemblage on that occasion. ■ Referring to the tour, ho expressed th« vfe-w that Miss Maclachtan ;was now visitiing onoi cf the I,est, most prosperous, and what oug'ht to 1)&—1/ut for the strife caused by certain legislation—one of the happiest colonies in the whole of the British Empire. Mr Paul mentioned that though the Scots were few in number their rathus-iasm made up for numerical deficiency. The present was Miss Maelnchlan's first, visit to Taranaki. but. it was Rincorely hoped that it would not 'bo tho last. (Cheers.) Mr M. Eraser supplemented tho remarl* of 'Hie previous speakers. To the amus-dfnont of the gathering hy proceeded In wolcome the visitor in, the Gaelic tongue, yo ken. Ttiaf Mr Fraser still retains his knowledge of the, weird language was shown (by the dpprccint ive manner in which the speech was received.

Miss Jossio M ; aclach)an, who is a neat, public speaker, smilingly replied I hat sh<i whs ilolightvri indeed tn find herself flnirmgsf them in New Plymouth. <>f (hi' political questions cit this country she lyiew nothing, but sho did know that, dxn was glad' te sec so many happy fnevs to welcome a Scotch \<oman on her first visit to this town. Though coming from Scotland, she, was not going to give a programme of Scotch music only, lint had cc»mc 1o bring Unm happy inossn'gt'H awl happy songs, lot them lift written either in Scotland. Knglnivd, or Ireland. Shej and her fellow musicians would do thero very liret t'hat evening to show in a practical way how uiucli Mwy apiiree.iatpd 'the tatarty welcome. Shu thanked those assendiletl. one and all, ami hoped it might not be her last ivisili tn this stVmingly very beautiful town.

Three rin-ging cheers for the visitor were then given. The way being.led by fiVM members- of the Taranak-i Pipe Ilaml, who 'dißconrsed selections on Mi a baig'pipes. Miss Mnclachlan m-nn iSi'ortifl in a, carringn to the Criterion Hotel. In the afternoon Miss Mnclachlan was taken for a drive to Oinata, the party including Jfesdames MacDiarmid anil Morrison, Miss I'Vaser, Messrs .1. Paul, Maediarmi'd, M. Fraseu and .1 Ynn. A visit was paid during tho afternoon to tlu> farms erf Messrs J. Smith anil Clemow". The out.ing was most enjoyable in every respect.

(n the evolving oig'hi ot t<-n of the Taranaki Caledonian Band |>laye(l in town, afterwards the perfoiwance. -

V.XVSiSa CONCF.UT. Tkere was a aplondid attendance at the Theatre Koyal in tho evening', ami tho enthusiasm with tehich tho various -itemis were .greeted will not ruatlily forfexn-ten. Misa Mnclachlan, tnlio has a line siage presence and a. charming manner., possesses a anagiviticent niezzo-soprano voice, of great and urvdev perfect control. Hut it is in the intorpretation and expri'ssion that the "Incomparable Queen oi Scottish Kong - " is pre-eminent, and she has the rare quality of touching the audience and k'indlhvg their emotions. "Tho Auld' Scots Sangu" (IJethune) wart a mudu* iatod, Hft-mpathet ic opening nnmboi; which delighted t-ho audience, aTid in response to the storm of applause, Miss Mtxclachlan gave a lighter class of 509ig in t'ho •ccfffuet.t'ish Through the; Uye," with chanwng vivacity. A great wave of enthusiasm greeted those opening numbers, aid the singer h«d t« 'appear awd bow her acknowledgments. | Aft<»ri the lullaby "Cronau" (Mighlaml), sweetly wajs tho fam-l ous Ilorder ballad l "lllue lU>«iietw / ' (Scott), in which singvr , was I

supurb. • Tluj sjirring soug was given with effect and deptk of feeling that- ,th« nudicnco was fairly electrified, and at the ooncluijon -imiulgvd -in a nert'vct furore after their pent-up feelings. ilisx Maclaehlan. who is almost as much at Home in Wnglifc-lv ami Irish ballads as in the folk songs of Scot" land, wan next -heard in 'tfie pretty Irish sung "Killarney," and as an additional numJ>er "Harney O'llea." Th« latter, given with an -mimitable touch of sauciness, was a delicious item. In the second part -the svngeK demonstrated the pleading rython in the, (taelic waulking" .sang,

"Air t'al-nlt-al-u," an'd thi# up 'by "lac.yo Alind the Lang La-n-g Syne,'' which would reach the 'heart of any Scot. To realise thr and feeling that can bw enthused into "Uuh\ llritannia," one must Aeat\the l Scotch singer. This was to .lit her, concluding item, but such waa the ardour oi (he audience that she was compelled 'to reappear and give "Auld bang Syne." The audience joined in -the National Anthem

Mr John McLinden also 'quite took tho au-dkmcc Ire storm with his exquisite nntnipulntion of the 'cello, aiul -tinif. and again -ho was recalled. Sown 'cello .soledionsiwere d'otvn on lho programme. but the audience would not, 'l>u appeast-d ijniil he had added four encore numbers. 'Khore wus a flavour of Scotch mist and heather a|>out several <>][ the items. I'lajiolorte solos and (he accompanh fuents (luring the evening- wore capably played by Mr Hubert Nucha nan,

dust before the close of the jxnv forpiance Mr '"Paul made 'a -brief speech on the highly enjoyable character of the concert, and called fori cheers for Hiss Maclachlan and company, which werq 'given in a stylel that made the theatre ring again.