CONCERT.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7552, 15 May 1890, Page 6

CONCERT.

z ~ l Sbo concert given in aid of the building .' fabdof the Sydenham gymnasium was well .attended last night in the Oddfellows' Hall. A'dviaatage was taken of the occasion to ;i i&abie Mr Prouse, who proceeds to England, to undergo a course of musical ■ftady, to take leave of his Christchurca u&dmtrers. It was much to be regretted, .however, that owing to a severe cold he , was unable to do justice to himself, and . Key. Mr Isltt had to ask the indulgence of audience to the extent of omitting one of the numbers allotted to him. Mr

Preuse sang Calcott's well-known sons, of the brave," and it was plain to seen that he was by no means in voice. Hβ sang ie creditably, but was unable Horn the reason to which reference has Already been made to do fall justice to it. The same may be said of his*.: singing of Sir A. Sullivan's beautiful song, "Thou art passing hence." Mies Bella Spensley, who was not Iα as fcood voice as. we have heard her, did not make ft very happy selection in her first aamber "In old Madrid," a perfervid Iqve serenade which would more fitly be tang' by a male voice. In response to an " Voeore she gave one of those archly pretty 'Iliads which she sings so well, and this i 9(BMioQ was no exception, as it was very ..excellently given. In the second part Mia a /Spenaley sang "The garden of sleep" -fairly well. Mies Fanny Martin sang - HEftCbleen Mavourneen " in the first part with a fair amount of success, but was : mwh better in "The dear little shamjeoak, ,, which she gave in response to an . tecore. Randegger'sflorid "Joyouslife" /la .'a song which is not by any means ■ Jutted to Miss Martin, besides which, the ; ante—-as indeed was the case in several ; «r>Xhe numbers—was taken far too slow. MrPuachell sang "Come into the garden, Maud," with an entire absence of spirit, ajjd, -not nearly fast enough. The ballad Song," in the second part, .was just suited to his style of singing; ~ah<T he made a distinct success in it; being one Qf the most enjoyable items of the evening. In response to an encore he sang/ , * My Queen." Mr Halley gave the well-worn- ■" Anchored" fairly welL A small but well-balanced orchestra, under of Mr Skelton, played three numbers. Of these the opening one af ■ the programme, "The invocation C^ ii,& '" W *L W< £ P lft yed, and *o was the quartette for piano and tarings, Mandolina/which the Spanish Students made pretty familiar to Us whilst they were hereV It was encored, bat was not played nearly so well the •'^lwi 1 ! 1 **?*& out of time in parts. •Aβ; third item, Bride" waited t-ttrty given, though the introduction was unsteadily rtaved. Mr Hillier played •; v eber 8 Last Waltz "as a clarionet sola very J eood ?° ne » bufc a want of >nr.oothnes3 and precision in phrasing la lH * 3^H on ° f some of theTariatfoas ■„? as decidedly noticeable. Mr G«o. Kelly uave two recitations with a considerable . !K?S .$. eiocationary power. Hβ •fleeted 'Clarence's Dream * and G. R. "Signal Box." Mr Prouee •• Pa9C hell aang » setting of the well-known poem "Excelsior" as a duet ,very well indeed.