CITY HALL CONCERTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 87, 12 April 1894, Page 2

CITY HALL CONCERTS.

Mr A. H. Gee's winter evening concerts bid fair to be a most successful feature in Auckland during the coming season. Gifted v/ibh a splendid voice, Mr Gee also has the rare arb of being able bo impart insbrucbion in singing with success, and the facb that he has taken a number of Auckland amateur singers in hand as pupils should guarantee thab they will become capablo vocalisbs. Lasb evening at hia concert in tho City Hall a number of Mr Gee's pupils took part in the performance, and the part songs and quaitetbes given by them were exceeding creditable. Tho City Hall was crowded lasb evening, the house being well filled everywhere, despite the great counterattraction ab the Opera House, and the audience was an appreciative ono.

The opening number was a parb song "The Village Chorister," by Mr (ice's pupils. This was followed by a song "Around the Camp Fire," by Mr Horace Stebbing, Miss Featon coming nexb in a successful vocal solo, " Whisper and I Shall Hear " (Piccolomini). In this number Herr Zimmerrinann played a violin obligato. Miss Clarice Brabazon played two selections on the pianoforte beautifully, and besides accompanying tho vocalists throughout also gave a piano solo in the second part of the programme. Mr Gee naturally scored tho greatest success of tho evening in hia fine songs. His first so'o was " The Village Blacksmith," which so delighted tho aucli: ence that an encore followed as a matter of course, Mr Gee giving in response "The Scout." In the second parb of the programme Mr Geo san_. " The Storm Fiend " with splendid force and expression, and in response to a vociferous encoro he contributed a rollicking sea song. Miss Beata Harvey' Hang two solos with much success — " Scenes That are Brightest" ("Maritana") and "Dear Hearb" (Mattei) — her second number being deservedly encored, A vocal dueb was given by Mrs and Miss Maxwell, and Mr A. H. McLean sang Ganz's "I Seek For Thee in Every Flower," his nervousness marring whab would otherwise have been an excellenb song. A humorous glee, " A Little Farm Well Till'd," by Messrs Hewson, Stebbing, and Gee caused great amusement. In the second part of the programme Miss Featon sang "Fetters of Gold " (Moir) with a violin obligato by Herr Ztmmermann. A well-played-violin solo, Schubert's "Aye Maria," was given by Herr Zimmermann as the next number, and a quartette by Mr Gee's pupils concluded the concert. Encores were numerous during the evening, and the performance was throughout a successful and enjoyable OflOi . • '..*.»•■.«