CONCERT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4779, 21 July 1894, Page 3

CONCERT.

Mastertoii Presbyterian Church

Another of the series of concerts in aid of the organ fund, was hold in in the Presbyterian Church last night, the room being filled with a large and appreciative audience. The programme was very good throughout, and the promoters aro to be congratulated on the success of their arrangements.

The programme wis opened b; Misses Feist andßunting, who gave; piano duct from' Figaro,' which wa well played. Dr, Douglas followei with " My Old Dutch," a, coster song Hesang with much feoling, andas th song was new and well suited to th pitch of his voice, he recoived heart; and well-merited appluuie, The ncx itom was a duet by Miss Perry am Mr Boagey, "Eventide." Theii voices are well suited for singing to pother, and blended well .with eacl other. Mrs Butement's rendering o Maid of Athens" (Jude), witt riolin obligato by Mr Mowlem ras magnificent. Mrs Butemen las a full, clear, and sweet mezzo ioprano voice, which joined with thi lotos of a mellow violin, and in ( long liko" Maid of Athens," whicl sails forth all tho best points in i ;ood voice, is really a treat to ligtei o. The song was thoroughly ap ircciatcd by tho audience to tho eni -and tho cud camo too soon—ani irovoked a very hearty encore. Ii esponse Mrs Butement gavi 1 Whisper and I Shall Hear," whicl ho sang with great feeling, possess ng, as it did, the additional cbara f being comparatively, new. Thi ilasterton Orchestra followed witl lie Overturo "Le Gollievd 1 Or' nd showed an improvement in thi ighter playing of tho brass instru aents. MrD, A. Robinson cami lext with" The LastMustor," whiel io sang well, although without tin xpression that the song deserved ilr T. Hutchison's recitation Tennyson's" Golden Year," was ex clloutly given, and called fortl learty applause, A good recitatioi ,t a concert is as pleasant to hear a , good song, and Mr Hutchison, witl lis clear delivery and nice discrimi lation in the fino points of elocution lid thorough justice to his theme ilr Mowlom then followed with i 'iolin solo from Bergmiiller's " Noc urnes." His fingering is very clear ,nd this added to a fino mellov nstrument, makes his music ver; iffective. In response to a recall h ;ave Ruffe's" Cavatina." Miss John ton has the makings of a really gooi oice, and sang " The Bridge ver ileasingly, She require? [training lowever, there being ceiiain note ut which her voice loses its power iho received an encore, and gav 1 The Better Land" (Judo) whicl fas not so well suited to her vojc is "The Bridge." Miss Johnstoi hould sing songs of a lower setting ban those which usually gives ifr A«tall was in .particularly good pice, and in his ■ song " Hemembei Jot," was a thorough saceoßs, It nil ,bo ftn undoubted loss to musical iroles in Masterton when he. leaves or England. The Masterton ,Orchestra followed'with two selections

from Mendelssohn's" Songs witlioul Words," tU© improvement in theii

tnusio being still more perceptible, as in this case tlio sorvices of tho brazen instnimonts, had been on* tiroly dispensed with, and ono was enabled to liear the notes of the stringed instruments, This was a good idea, as tho blaro of trumpets Bounds hotter outsido a confinpd concert room than in it, Miss Pony gavo " Tho Holy City " with good ♦ffoct; but hor voica is too light for this class of music which ropires tho sustained effort of a strong voico. \ Mr Jas. Simms in " Tho Castlo Gate" was in pood form. Tho chorus of j " iuvisiblesiugers" did not, howover, add any offectivonoss to tho song, the pleasant effect being due to tho singer entirely, In fact tho" invisible singers" rather detracted from than added to the success: they wero too muffled and indistinct. Mr Sollar, an old favourite, gave "Mary of Ai'gyle," with good feeling, and his voijo, which at first sounded a little husky, at the end of tho song, was most effective and sweot, Mr W. Simms, who was to havo concluded tho programme with "An Evoning Song," was unfortunately suffering from a sovere cold. His placo was filled by Mr Astall, who gavo " Calvary." Mr Astall has improved very much of lato,and ho sang thepiecoinareallyoxcollent, mannor, although in parts it was too low sot for his voice.

Tho accompanimonts wero played by Misses P. Lowos, D. Bunting, I'oist, and Messrs Mowlom and A. von Keisonberg,