DENNIS BARRY RECITAL

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 10

DENNIS BARRY RECITAL

The programme of poetry, drama and song presented by Mr. Dennis Barry, tlie talented actor-singer, at liis recital in the Town Hall concert chamber last evening was of sucli an excellent standard that it was a pity that there was such a lacking in the numbers of the audience. Mr. Barry will be remembered as the romantic "lead" in the Shakesperean plays produced by Allan Wilkie and his beautiful voice will remain long in the memories of all who heard it. Although selections from Shakespeare were included in Mr. Barry's repertoire last night, and were most enthusiastically received, he made an equal success in the rest of his programme, which showed most discriminating and artistic taste. A tribute was paid to Mr. Barry by the applause which followed his rendering of Mark Antony's famous speech from "Julius Caesar." He brought to this hackneyed oration a freshness in interpretation and received admiration for his fire and delivery. Perhaps his most perfect picce of work was the reciting of Oscar Wilde's fairy talc "The Happy Prnice." For twenty minutes he held his listeners in the" spell of fantasy. The whimsical touch and humour was also .supplied by this versatile artist who gave A. A. Milne's essay "Natural Science" and Stephen Leacock's "The New Food." An Aesop fable was also enthusiastically received. The songs sung by Mr. Barry, who also has a delightful tenor voice, put a further markto his name as an artist. A number of Shakespearian songs, "Eleanors," by S. Coleridge Taylor, "Lithuanian Song," by Chopin, and Schubert's "Who Is Sylvia?" were all delightfully rendered. * Miss Margot St. Lawrence Toner was a sympathetic accompanist to Mr. Barry's songs, and in her solo numbers she displayed rare talen. Mr. Barry's recitals will be continued this evening and tomorrow evening.