THE KENNEDYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 23 July 1914, Page 8

THE KENNEDYS.

MUSICAL ENTERTAINERS. • 'The 'attendance whicllr greeted the first performance in New Plym'aiith. of •'The Kennedys'' last night was .by no means '.oiumcn-urate with the <|iiality of tho onrcrtaininent. The audience, however, was most enthusV..tic, and the company i>.id no'cause for complaint at the nature of its reception, for encores were more the rule than the exception. The company belong to the. ilk of refined'-socisty entertainers, which has gained swab a. hold on the New Zealand uublic ,of late years, but tJiwr performance is unusually strong in instrumental items. They are a musically ambi-dextrous, several of them playing more than one instrument, and those of them who do not fulfil this requirement fill the broach with vocal numbs-s. Perhaps the most popular .of the Kennedy instrumentalists was Laurie, the 'celii-t. By n.r. means' a. virtuoso, he was nevertheless heard to considerable advantage in a quaint ihapsodie of Poppers, and still mere so in several simpler themes. His version of "The l/.ist P.ose of Summer" wtis es-p.tei:illy appreciated. Keith Kennedy, the violin soloist, made a very favorable impression by an extensive knowledge of tinpossibilities of hi? instrument, and considerate technical ability. In his first number "Zigeunerwoisen" (Siirasate), his weird gipsy music was well interpreted, and made a strong appeal. In the sextette from "Lu.cia.fti Lammcrmoor" he played unaccompanied and aided by striking limelight effects, and was on the whole successful. Lance Kennedy, titw flautist, nude a hid choice for that, instrument, the Vcrte tian '•Carnival." but in his encore numbers attacked more popu'ai airs in a much more effective manner.

In combined work the company wa< very successful. Tho. opening item, Hopplcra "Nocturne," is,.an appealing number, and earned an enthusiastic reception. The next concerted item was "Tales of Hoffman" (Offenbach). An instrumental quartette as an accompaniment to Miss Dorothy Grace and' Miss Rose Fitzgerald was as well bandied as any itei:-i on the programme, and was deservedly encored. Another' fine concerted number was an "ensemble," accompanied by mandoline, manifold and piano. \ Tho vocal numbers contained Wno really good items. Miss Rose Fitzgerald possesses a strong contralto voice, especially pleasing in lower and middle and register, and in the old-time ballads and quaint .Scotch songs which she affects was heard to confichramV advantage. Her version of ".My Ain Folk" was espocialh- popular. In "A Perfect Day." with 'cello obligalo, she bad another effective number, but in "The Lost Chord" the instrumental accompaniment was ■somewhat overpowe: irig. Miss Dorothy Grace is a soprano of pleasing stage manner. Her voice was t very soft in upper register—not an inconsiderable virtue in a soprano. She was especially well received in "Prince Charmintr" and "T Hear you Calling Me." Mr. Lance Kennedy has a useful baritone, and he and the lady vocalists combined in some effective national sorgs. "Excelsior,'' which the whole companv gave as an encore, was well handled in every' wav and most effectively presented. The Kennedy's should have a good reception to-night.