PRESBYTERAN CONCERT AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2702, 5 November 1889, Page 2

PRESBYTERAN CONCERT AT CAMBRIDGE.

Ix.STKAI) of the usual soiree that has hitherto been held yearly in connection with the Trinity Presbyterian Church at Cambridge, it was'this year decided to substitute a concert, and in"order that it should be worthy to till the place of the tea-meeting, it was resolved to obtain some really good talent. Mrs Kilgnur, of the Thames, having proved herself a cantatrice of no mean order ay her dinging at a concert given in Cambridge some months ago, when she enraptured the audience by the manner in which she performed, the " p.nvers that, ba " decided to secure her services again, if possible. Their efforts were so successful that not only did they persuade Mrs Kilgour to come, but also to bring two of her daughters, who, it need hardly be said, are talented musicians. Mr Burgess, of Te Awamutu. also gave his services and was a great acquisition, the remainder of the performers being wellknown amateurs of the district. The prices oE admission wore somewhat high, being 2s ansl 3s, but the hall was nevertheless filled, and wo trust the Church exchequer has received a good surplus from the entertainment. The performance commenced punctually at 8 p.m., the first item being a piano duet, "Country Life," by Messrs Hartly and McDermott. It was creditably rendered, but did not require any great display of execution ; and we presume the performers chose it, as they know that the first item on the programme at a conceit is somewhat similar to the overture at a theatre, viz., an intimation to the audience to get into their places and prepare for better tilings to follow. However, as all things must have a beginning, they "jumped into the breach" and smoothed the way for the other performers. Mr Henry Wilson then sang an old English ditty of the seventeenth century, "Come Lassies and Lads," in which he was very successful. Mrs and Miss N. Kilgour then gave "Spring and Summer,"—a most appropriate item for a mother and daughter to sing—a pretty duet, charmingly rendered, for which they'received applause and floral gifts. Mrs Maxwell followed with " Surely. This item was not given in her usual style, in consequence of the lady having hurried to get to the hall. Mr Burgess' fine baritone voice was heard to great effect in the grand old song " Man the Life Boat." He sang with great verve, and was justly entitled to the encore he received. repeated the latter portion of the sons;. Mrs Kilgour then charmed the audience by singing Bishop's "Tell Me My Heart," being ably accompanied on the piano by Miss Kilgonr. In response to a most enthusiastic encore .she delighted the Scotch element by substituting " Within a Mile of Kdinboro' Town," in which she was equally successful. The runs and trills in the. rirsl-n.imcd song were beautifully executed. Mr C. Hunter was very successful with "' The Tar's Farewell," singing with more energy than usual. Tho first half of the programme clo-wl with " The New Kingdom," by Miss X. Kilgour. In addition to the piano accompaniment there was an obligate pbyed upon an American orftan, kindly lent by Mr V. J. Brooks. This young lady possesses a moz/.0-soprano voice of pure quality, it is however a trifle weak for a large ball, but thac defect will probably be remedied with advancing years. In reply to an encure, she gave " The Swanee River," the chorus being taken up by singers behind the scenes, but the effect was marred in consequence of it not having been rehearsed. After an interval of ten minutes, the Misses Kilgour commenced the second portion of tho programme with a piano duat " Les Huguenots." This was a very trying piece, it being both long and difficult, but tho performers were equal to the occasion, and gained applause for their rendering of it. Mrs Maxwell then sang " Tile Lover and the Bird.'; She accomplished this very nicely, having quite recovered from the indisposition from which she had suffered earlier in tho evening. Mrs Kilgour and Mr Burgess gave the duet "Excelsior," in grand style tor which they were encored and repeated the latter portion. A slight hitch occurred at the start of the repeat, but was soon remedied, Mr C. Hunter sang "Nil Despcrnndem," and was followed by Miss N. Kilgour with "In Old Madrid," for which she was applauded. Mr Wilson was encored for "They All Love Jack," which ho thoroughly deserved. Mrs Kilgour then sang "Old Robin Gray' beautifully, for which she was vociferously encored. She substituted tho Australian song "Coo-ee." This, we think, was her best effort, the echo being perfect. She was again loudly applauded. The concluding item was " Will o' the Wisp," by Mr Burgess. This was excellently rendered, the latter portion having to bo repeated. The singing of the "National Anthem," by the whole of the performers, concluded u very pleasant evening's performance. The night was anything but a pleasant one, it raining nearly the whole time, which, doubtless, deterred many of the country sctI tiers from attending.