AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 358, 8 April 1910, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

TIE BESSES 0' TH' BARN BAND.

TO-MORROW EVENING

Saith African criticisms make coinplmtiuan uim.iuuo to me superiority •f tie "iiesses" iu brats music. ileguruiig uie Capetown concerts, if »&s said tuat the performance was "distinguish'd by a crispness of attack and a, soli ingenug over the delicate passages of tht various pieces that was quite a revelaion to many who predicted that blare vould be the chief characteristic of a bass baud's playing. On tile contrary, he .harmony and melody were so tenderl; balanced as to place the orass instrunents on a plane quite higher than thai which is ordinarily associated with thm. In the concerted pieces the most pomlar were Waldteufel's' waits "Eitudimtint." Rinimer's fantasia "Memories <f Britain," Douglas' arrangement of "Reminiscences of Tschaikowsky," Myerbeer's triumphant march, "Schiller,' Medelssokn's ±iuy Bias," and .Wagner's "Flying Dutchman." Mr. E. ,»Brightwel delighted the vast audience ,with 'Xayor's "Woodland Echoes," played on the xylophone with remarkable skill. Thi xylophone is only our old friend the vaffir piano, as it used to be called, but nuch melody can be extracted from it in the hands of an efficient performer. Also in the s'olos Mr Ryder playd on the cornet Hartman's '•'Arbucklenin," a difficult piece, calling for the exercse of much skill. As an en,core he gave"The Lost Chord," an exquisite perfemance. The capacity of the euphoniim was demonstrated by Jlr. R. P. lerry in Winterbottom's .''Fantasia . Faitisque." The audience was greatly uopressed by the flexibility of the notes .flat this ponderous instrument can and called for an encore. .Ax extra piees the band gave "Hail Smiling Morn' and "The Village Blacksmith." The whole performance was characterised V precision and well-bal-anced melody and fully merited the great oration corded it. , The "Besses'! New Plymouth geason opens to-morro", when three performances will be gren. The first is listed .for the Theatre toyal at 8.30, the second at the Recreatia Grounds at 3 o'clock on Monday aftenoon, and final at the Royal, {onday evening. Dav gale at 2s are noi procurable at Collierg Piano Depot. \

" PE'ER PAN."

BOX PLAN (PENS TO-DAY.

, Booking for J. i Btrrie's fairy play ■will commence thil morning at Collier and Co.'s. The onqrepresentation here .will be given next tueslay evening at the Theatre Royal. IA hjavy bookings anticipated and is suggested 'by the numerous ewuVies during the I week. "Peter Pan" jjy such an attraction for the public '.sewhere that it I has been revived irtLondon for seven .years with ever incAising Mieeess, and has been presented I.New York for no fewer than 1400 tup within the last five years. Its aueSs, too in. Melbourne was quite remarkabjf, ~nd there was a complete unanimity an'nest the critics jts to ii§w£oodo, m litie<iand fascinating featurs_no?!f??h?le no'< of disapproval beinff sounded rhroutrhiit. The Melbourne Amu* said: "A;the action unfo'ded. a« one nunint Mnatinr, followed another, is fantasv nndrealitv strayed 'i»! pach other's footst.ns across the F.oilimits, reemincr to ':■'}' rlicc with

fcach other—as the devil U said to have 'played dice jor the soul of Faustine---the impression grvw an:! strengthened that 'Peter Pan' would prove a. great Australasian, as it lias been an English .and American, : mvess. It is a jiiay for children, and a play for grown-ups.'' If one were treating it as a serious .work one would say that it was disconnected, that it ignored the unities .as well as the probabilities, that it snapped its fingers at the theatre-goer and the critic, who likes things done decently and in order. But this very lack of cohesion, instead of being a weakness, lias come to be regarded as the peculiar merit, and distinctive charm of (lie whole. The local production promises | ■to be one of the most successful ever experienced by Mr. Williamson. To form ft slight idea of the completeness with which ''Peter Pan" is to be Given here, the. mechanical staff attached to this production exceeds that usuallv accompanying Mr. Williamson's big pantomimes.