JESSIE MACLACHLAN CONCERT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7242, 30 July 1907, Page 2

JESSIE MACLACHLAN CONCERT.

The Oddfellows' Hall was well filled throughout last evening, when Miss Jessie Maclachlan aud her company made their second appearance before an Ashburton audience. Though still possessing the power of raising her hearers to a high pitcli of enthusiasm, Miss Maclachlan was scarcely heard to as good advantage as on the occasion of her first visit here, two years ago. Her voice is showing slight, but unmistakeable, signs of wear; which is scarcely to be wondered at, considering tho exacting nature of most of her songs. N'

Miss Maclachlan opened her solos with Burns's vigorous "Scots Wha I Hae," and responded to an imperative recall with a Scottish version of "John Peel." Her second number was an extremely pretty Irish lullaby, "Shoheen : Sho-la," which was bracketed with her masterpiece, "Blue Bonnets." The first-named gave Miss Maclachlan an opportunity of displaying the wonderful control she has over her voice, the whispering pianissimos and delicate cadences being interpreted with the highest artistic skill. Her spirited singing of the old Highland war song, "Blu. Bonnets," called forth a perfect tempest of applause. As an encore, she Save the humourous Irish love sow, Rory O'More." In a duct with Mr DougW Young—"The Crook.. Bawbee —Miss Maclachlan proved herself an actress as well as a singer. In this numbeivand the encore duet which folowed ("Huntingtower"), s h o deserves the very highest praise for her skilful interpretation of the various phases of love, disappointment and exaltation. Unfortunately, the same could scarcely be said of her partner, Mr Douglas Young, whose acting was stiff and unconvincing. Miss Maclachlan's final numbers were the Gaelic song "Fal-al-al-o" and Lady Nairne's Jacobite song, ''Will Ye No Come Back Again," ootli of which were given with great expression and dramatic power. Mr Douglas Young is the possessor of a fine tenor voice. He also has the -rather rare gift of selecting songs which suit that voice. His first pro- ' gra-mmo number was "Afton Water," .vhich was heartily encored, and to which he responded with "When the Syo Come Hame." He also sang with pod effect "Tho MacGregor's Gathering," followed by the inevitable encore, 'Annie Laurie." In the second part )f the programme, Mr Young sang the ' well-known English song, "My Pretty Jane," which was undoubtedly his best -ffort- of the evening. Mr John McLinden may well bo reckoned as a violincellist of the first order; not since the.visit of Gerardy has Ashburton had anyone who couloV so manipulate this difficult instrument. Unfortunately,, he changed several of "* his programme numbers, which" was rather confusing to the uninitiated. His olaying of the "Scottish Fantasia," by Paque, called forth unstinted applause, and Mr McLinden responded with an arrangement of Dvorak's "Humoreske," which was played witli great refinement and expression. In the second part of the programme, he piaved Mascagni's '•Tiite-. mezzo," Elgar's D'Amour," and Popper's (not bquires, as on the programme) "No. 2 Gavotte. As an encore to the lastnamed he played "The Banks of Allan V\ ater, ' the final part -of which was given in a most effective manner with muted strings. Mr Robert Buchanan acted as accompanist throughout, and it may be noted that there was a complete absence of that loud-pedal aggressiveness wmch is so noticeable a feature in the work of the average accompanist. Ihe Ashburton Pipo Band was in attendance,' and occupied the front seats in the hall. The members had serenaded Miss Maclachlan at the Commercial Hotel, and then played her to the concert.