AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 204, 18 August 1908, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

Tllli MALLINSON SONG KECITMA

New Plymouth, true ,to its traditions, again paid a poor compliment ,to talent last night, the attendance at the Mallixson song recitals in the Theatre Koyal being out of all proportion to tho merit and importance of the ]>erformance. It is an allmitted though unfortunate fact tluit the New Plymouth populace is not much concerned about the best music and singing, and comparatively few high-class concerts by visiting vocalists and instrumentalists have been greeted by large audiences here. Public interest had been considerably excited by the visit of the Mallinsons, music-lovers recognising what a treat it must be to have .a composer's music sung at his own hands and by a cantatrice of Worldaccepted capabilities in full sympathy with the ideas of the person whose phrasing she interprets. But the interest was not sufficient to induce more than a couple of hundred people to venture out iu last night's torrential rain. Those musically-inclined people who were present at the recital, if spontaneity and continuity and heartiness of applause were any criterion, had a most enjoyable evening. For the interpretation of his songs Mr. Mallinson could hardly fiud a singer more suitable than Mrs. Mallinson, who possesses a high soprano voice of a beautiful, even quality, and under perfect control. Her j perfect freedom from affectation, a j charming stage manner, her intensity ci feeling .yet delightful ease of production, together with the really wonderful accompaniments played by Mr. Mallinson, made at once for success. She appeared in nearly twenty numbers, all of Mr. Mallinson's composition, yet delightfully varied, from grave to gay, bright little ail's and difficult settings, bringing out all the glory of her voice, ] and there was no sense of sameness or monotony. Miss Hebe lvussman, though i young performer, was very satisfying in her violin solos, interpreting some lifficult phrasings in a inanne r that stamped her as. an artist with a future, ler pianoforte accompaniments were s leautifully played by Miss Ethel Wy- v nan, whose pianoforte sonatas displayed inc.technique and a rausicianly'grasp of he writer's theme.

MR, CHARLES SAUiNDEKS, Mr. James T. Muir, who is directing the Now Zealand tour of 'tis lanms British tenor, arrived in town last evening, but found n telegram awaiting him that Mr. Saunders was suffering from a severely congested throat, and Dr. Kingston FJ'fe, wibo is attending him, recommended him to postpone all dittos on this coast until after the conclusion of the Auckland season, which terminates on the 31st August. Then ho will go to Rotorua. Mr. Saunders then proceeds south to sing thro? I nights with the Dimcdin Choral Society and two nights with the Christchurch (Society. He tlhen proposes to complete [ his Wellington engagements and then those on this const. Very general sympathy is expressed for the misfortune that the genial tenor has suffered, as all through the Dominion the has established himself a great favorito. Wo sincerely trust to boar of his speedy recovery.