THE LYNCH FAMILY OF BELLRINGERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 37

THE LYNCH FAMILY OF BELLRINGERS.

After an absence of some six years the Lynch Family of Bellringers have returned to this city, and their opening entertainment was given in the Garrison Hall ov» Monday and Tuesday evenings. Therewas a good audience on each occasion, and the performance met svith general and thorough appreciation Th« programme was a varied one, and contained, in addition to the old favourite items, novelties that cannot fail to prove' attractive. Of course the leading feature o? the ontertiinment is the bellringing, for excellence in which the company has been remarkable for many years. The music of the bells has lost none of its charm and the players none of their skill, the dexterous manipulation of the bells producing the most perfect harmonies in the sweetest tones. One of the best, because it is one of the most appropriate pieces for production on these instruments, was the " Blue bells of Scotland " with variations, as played by the company in this colony so long ago as 1867. Another piece which the bells seem to tall out with eloquence was the plaintive song "Father come home." The " Marseillaise " also went well, and all the selections were received with hearty applause. The bell-ringing, however, though it maintains its popularity, has a powerful rival in the glassophone music, as played by the company. Last evening the selections given on the musical glasses were "Yon distant shore" (Webbe), "The old folks at home " (Woods), "Write me a letter " (Wilson), and " Home, sweet home." All of these were so well rendered that it would be difficult to say which was the best, and none of them failed to please in a very high degree. The programme was, however, by no means confined to music on the bells and the glassophone. Messrs F. A. Saunders and S. Herchimer played as piano duets the overtures from "Faust" and "Un Ballo ia Maschera," and Mr A. W. Hulme, who has a very powerful voice, sang "The skipper" (Jude) capitally, and gave several other songs that were very favourably received. A good descriptive song ' ' Masks and faces " wag ably interpreted by Mr E. J. Ford, who also sang an amusing parody on " Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay " and recited with good dramatic effect C. A. Brown's " Kissing-cup's race." Mr J. E. Collins undertook successfully the delineation of Irish character, after the manner of Farron (of Baker and Farron), and certainly proved mirth provoking. Messrs R. and W. Lynch sang a humorous duet, "Useful knowledge," and created much amusement by their Chinese song and dance. The entertainment conclude i with "Five Shillings a Week," an original farce, in which the whole company took part, and which was received with much laughter and applause.