AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 982, 28 February 1910, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

ANDREW BLACK CONCERT. A MUSICAL TREAT. At the lown Hall on Saturday night, Mr Andrew Black and his talented Concert Company, gave a miscellaneous concert in the presence of a musical audience. The night, being? a wet one, no doubt prevented many country people from attending who would otherwise have been glad to have heard the famous , baritone and his assistants. The stalls were well occupied, but in the dress circle there were a number of empty seats. One would have expected that when a singer of Mr Black's reputation appeared the place would have been packed, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. It being the late night for the shops would, ot course, militate somewhat against a larger attendance. A well selected programme of popular and classical items opened with a pianoforte and violin duet played by Miss Lillian Delany and j M. Anton Tschaikov, which was well [ received. The second item was a | contralto solo sung by Miss Iley Cross, whose interpretation of Gluck's "Che Faro,' from "Orpheo." secured her a well merited recall. She responded by singing "Out on the Rocks" (Sainton-Dalby), which was also pleasingly rendered. Miss Lilian Delany, the pianiste of the company, rendered Greig's popular solo "Wedding Day," and was enthusiastically applauded. She played the same composer's "Papillon" asan'encore. Mr Andrew Black, who was in fine voice, sang Marshall's "I Hear You Calling Me," and Carissimi's "vittoria, Vittoria." The singer gave splendid enterpretations of these compositions, and was recalled. He again delighted the audience with the evergreen composition "The Village Blacksmith," which proved another very enjoyable item The violinist, M. Anton Ischaikov. played with vim and fine tone the andante and finale from Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Miss Iley Cross' second solo was taken from Saint-Saeu's "Samson and Delilah," entitled "Softly Awakes My Heart." She was again successful in the rendition of her solo, and had to return and bow her acknowledgments. Hatton's fine composition, though a somewhat short one—"To Anthea," gave Mr Black an opportunity of displaying his vocal powers. He gave a dramatic performance of this solo. He also sang "Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind," and "Non Piu Andrai," which were listened to attentively, and he was well applauded. Miss Delany's pianoforte solo "Ritournelle," by Chaminade, wts also much appreciated. Miss Iley Cross' next sang "Three Green Bonnets," by D'HardeJot, and "Braw, Braw, Lads," Items that were warmly applauded. M. A. Tschaikov gave a fine rendering of Vieuxteamp's "Ballade and Polonaise," and to a well merited recall he commenced to play "Souvenir de Moscow" (Wieuawski), but he had only played a few bars when one of his strings snapped. The concluding items on the programme were sung by Mr Black, who rendered "Turn Ye to Me," and "The Cameron Men." They proved to be much appreciated by the audience, and the singer, who was imperatively recalied sang "The Land of the Leal." All the items without exception were veil "received, and the only regret is that j the audience was not as large as it might have been, considering the reputation Mr Black holds in the musical world as a baritone of the highest merit. It is to be hoped that Mr Black and his Company will give another concert in Masterton before he leaves New Zealand, and when we trust he will be greeted with a crowded audience.

THOMPSON-PAYNE PICTURES. The heavy rain did not deter a i large number of people from patron-1 ising ths excellent entertainment on i Saturday night. To night a com- I plete chnnge is announced with several star films. It is now bordering on six months since Messrs Thompson and Payne initiated their moving picture enterprise in the Foresters' Hall, Masterton. Several alterations have been made to the premises sines then and to-day they hive a really up-to-date picture hall. This class of entertainment has become so popular that difficulty arises sometimes in accommodating the large audiences that attend. The performance itself is not outrivalled anywhere in New Zealand. The pictures are wonderfully steady and shine forth in a clear, well defined manner. The programme is always well chosen, and certainly hits the popular taste. It is a large undertaking to keep up two distinct programmes per week, when it is considered that each programme consumes at least eight to nine thousand feet of film. Messrs Thompson and Payne have always kept well to the fore Tn their subjects, and the Masterton public very often see films produced here before ti.ey are shown in the large centres.