The Baunsfather Family.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3420, 28 January 1890, Page 2

The Baunsfather Family.

• : ! We, ■■ need scarcely remind our readers, Scotch ones especially, 1 of the above" popular ehtortainrdent this evening, The Family haye just concluded a successful season in Napier, and this is'what the Napier Telegraph says. of; : the performance:—: "iYqstreen the braw lads and bonnie lasses wha hail ayont the Tweed foregathered at'tho Theatre Eoyal. The audience were evidently critical. The Scotch are'aye critical, 'probably due to tho time they ~deyoto to the study of .metaphysics tnd 'theology', and though ''''Recollections of Scotland " :was: splendidly played on the piano by -Miss Bairnsfather,' leading I people to conclude thai'that portion of tho entertainment 'at' least 'would be satisfactory, there was- just a little impatience manifested as Mr Bairns father appeared, The Scotch folks stiffened their.backs, put on a dour look, and banishing evoii the shadow of a BihiU. from, their faces, awaited development, Mr Bairnsfather told them- Scotch.stories .with,all that pawky humor which is characteristic pf iiiscountay, and with a dialect that every: man from the land of the heather must have envied. Unlike a recent entertainer, whoso stories got into the newspapers three months at least ahead of the date of the visit, so that the tales seemed, stale chestnuts when given by the author, Mr': Bairnsfatber'S: were fresh and crisp, not selections from J)ean Earasay—to the colonial Scotchman who knows nqt the latter there f •■ a mine of wealth untold to' bo 'got from' the volume—but such as would havo delighted the heart of that genial collector, When Mr Bairnsfather is telling those wee bit tales of his country you are sorry that ho'is going to .sing, for you would prefer him to Jreop on talking, and then again when lie is Singing—every word as distinct as the lone of a be)),' though the Doric may bother the Sassenach—with) that evident enjoyment himself whioh: seems to Itavo the knack of communicating, to his audience,—you are puzzled to think why he should ever deeisend to the telling.of even scotch stories. Perhaps the explanation is he does'not know yet which he does best-singing or storytelling., Miu -Bairnsfatbor has an excellent mezzo'soprano voice, sings with taste and 'expression] while her ipjoal phrasing iej Very pleasing and cqrrept,,:Miijs Bairnsfather,lin addition to a solo,, played a waltz' with .the piano covered with a plaid, a feat >vhioh is, more difficult than it 6eep at'first sight, Master Jairnsfather -gave >l Bonnie Dundee," and with his sister danced very gracefully'.'TheHighland Pliug." as taught by that well known Hootch dunping master,. Mr v ljowe, The entertainment' was brought to a close with: the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," in whiph the audience joined.