ENTERTAINMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2244, 22 August 1891, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENT.

The musical and dramatic entertainment given in aid of St. Saviour’s Church Sunday School Building Fund last Thursday evening, in the Temuka Volunteer Hidl, was an imqualified success with the exception that the attendance was not so large as might have been expected. The front seats were crowded, but the back seats were not well patronised. This was due partly to the charge to the front seats being made too low, to the fact that too many entertainments are being held just now, and to weathen, which was not aver-inviting. otill, with. all these drawbacks, the house ought to have been crowded, considering the object for which the entertainment was held and the fact that most of the performers came from a long distance to assist in so laudable a work. They might very well have been paid the compliment of giving them a crowded house. However, there is nothing to be gained by dwelling on this point. The entertainment was > carried out faithfully and well by the performers, and proved very creditable. It was opened by an orchestra of Geraldine musicians, consisting of Miss Alice Fish (piano), Mr T. Sherratt (violin), Mr Stonehouse (comet), and Mr Crow (clarionet), and they played the ,{Swallows’ Waltz’’ delightfully. In opening the second part they also played the Bitter Sweet Waltz” in a manner that won great applause. It is only doing them justice to say they played with good taste, and in a manner that showed they had practised assiduously. Mr J. McCaskill was heard to great advantage in the song “ Steering Home,” Mrs F. H. Barker sang “ Needles and Pins,” in good voice aud with much expression, md the Misses Wethey played an excellent pianoforte duet in a manner that elicited applause. “The Dear Little Shamrock,” by Miss Guy, and “ True till Death,” by the Rev. T. A. Hamilton, were rendered well, and these were succeeded by Miss Maggie Morrison, a little girl from Geraldine, who sang, in a very iweet voice, and with good etfect, “ Nobody’s Child.” Miss Woodfield’s song, ‘The Miller and the Maid,” and Mr Whitehead’s song, “I Fear No Foe,” vere loudly applauded, and three lads :rom Geraldine, named, respectively, Masters W. Berry arid B. and E. White, vound up the first part with a trio, entitled “ Three Sailor Boys,” which was lapitally given and rapturously encored. Che, three boys sang splendidly, and well laserved the compliment paid them by ;he audience. The next piece was a' musical charade, in which Mr H. M. Moore took the part of Moses, a moneyending Jew, his get-up and his acting jeing extremely good. The other parts vere taken by Miss A. Cox and her mother, Mr A. G, Cox, and they Remitted themselves with remarkable ibility. Miss Cox played with a vivacity tnd verve that showed she entered leartily into the spirit of the piece, and inderstood her part thoroughly. This cart of the entertainment was really host enjoyable, and was thoroughly appreciated by the audience. The piece de - esistance , however, was “Toby Tweedleion’s Tail Coat,” in which the characters vere sustained by Geraldine amatears. In this the whole interest centres round tn impecunious gentleman, who, in order ;o make a presentable appearance at the rouse of his lady-love, gets on the dress;oat of another gentleman, and substi;utes for it his own old coat. He goes to the house, and there meets the other gentleman, and, in order to get out of the scrape of being discovered, he transfers the coat to the shoulders of a country rokel, and eventually he manages to send it round until at last he restores it to its paginal owner. The play is most amusing, and all the characters were well sustained, the part of Kitty Spruce, taken by Miss Fish, being most realistic. Miss Wilson Smith had not a great deal to Jo, but that she did well, together with looking and dressing the part admirably. Mr Hawkins, as the eccentric Toby Tweedleton, was really good, while Mr Pearpoint, the host, was a host in himself. His get-up was gorgeous, and his acting natural. Mr Wilson Smith made a splendid country yokel; he looked it, he acted it, and it fitted liim as if he had been to the manner bom. Major Moore acted with great care and deliberation, speaking his lines clearly and with proper emphasis. On the whole, the piece was acted in a manner that would have reflected credit on professionals. There was not a weak point in it, and the position of the prompter was a complete sinecure. Wri must not omit to mention that the singers were accompanied on the piano by Misses Fish, Guy, McCaskill, and Wethey, and contributed in a great measure to the success of the entertainment. At the intevral the Rev, T, A. Hamilton appeared on the stage and moved a vote of thanks to the performers, and the motion was earned by acclamation.