ENTERTAINMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 192, 22 January 1915, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS.

s ■ PETER DAWSON'S CONCERT. t ' A MUSICAL TREAT, t ( i It is 50...e what remarkable that when 1 a concert -::: i/any of great merit visits 1 the town a . ..it house is rarely recorded. s Last night v.-as no exception to the rule, , for Ilie attendance at Mr Peter DaWj son's concert was far below the merits of " t the entertainment, but what the audiB cnce lacked numerically was amply made j up in enthusiastic appreciation of every ) item on an exceptionally attractive proB gramme, every number being encored, j and in the case of Mr Dawson's contributions, three and four recaL's 'being made and responded to with great E pleasure on the part of the singer. To f say that the concert was most enjoy- . fihie would convey no idea of the mas;- ; r.ificent, musical Veat that was afforded . these present. Mr Dawson is a whole . host in himself, and his remarkable vocal [. powers were a source of the greatest de- . to the audience. As a dramatic ! singer of great power lie is almost un- , equalled in the present day, but it is not. I ir- '.hat direction that he succeeds best. , ' though he is grandly impressive in such : numbers. It is in dialect song's, huinor- . ous ditties, and patriotic topics, wherein , he stirs the people to the highest enthusiasm. The one outstanding song that eclipsed all others was "The Toreador," [ which exactly suited the singer, and r fairly brought, down the house with applause. No greater or more delightful • contrast could have been presented at ; last night's concert than tlhat afforded i by Mr Dawson's singing, and the ex- : quisite violin solos contributed by Miss ; Grace Newsome, one of the most accomplished and soulful violinists that have visited the town. Her rendering of Hauser's "Hungarian Rhapsody" wa9 as ■near _ perfection as dt co>uld bo, the phrasing and technique and tempo being .faultless, while the interpretation was intelligent and sympathetic. It pro- 1 claimed the executant a musician of high rank, and earned a well-merited recall, the substituted item being equally charming. It was, however, in Chopin's "Nocturne" that the artiste secured her greatest success and exhibited that com'plete mastery of the instrument which 'evoked a perfect furore of applause, while the recall number was equally ' enchanting. In Miss Carlien Jurs, tlu company has a musician of great skill. Bnd one who thoroughly understands the very difficult art. of rendering accom- , paniments that serve to enhance the artistic value of the efforts of singer or otiher performer. There were times >' when one wondered what would have i : teen the effect produced by an indif- j ft rent pianist. It was a real object Uf-son in its war. Needless to say thaii , Miss Jurs is a soloist of great merit, and that both her brilliant contfibu-tic-is evoked recalls. The lady vocalist, ( Miss Annetta George, contributed songs c that appeared to please the audience. ] She also received recalls, both for liar solos, and in the duet with Mr Dawson, 9 "Sweet and Low," a setting which dif- v fered materially from that of the old a favourite glee. A most, successful and j, ■praiseworthy concert was brought to a close by singing a verse of the National -r Anthem. ]