AN HOUR WITH THE PHONOGRAPH.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7758, 12 January 1891, Page 6

AN HOUR WITH THE PHONOGRAPH.

(By Obß Sp_cxa_ Bepobter). On Saturday afternoon at the Invitation of Mr McMahon and Professor Archibald there was a small but representative gathering at the Oddfellows* Hall, for the purpose of making the acquaintance of the latest novelty In this startling age— Edison's phonograph. There were our popular Bishop and Mrs Julius, a sprinkling of musical people, members of the Fouith Estate, and some others. The instrument itself, which later on was to give us such magical effects, occupied but a small space on a table on the stage, aud nothing else was noticeable except a large swinging funnel with an opening like that enormous brass Instrument one sees iv bands. Professor Archibald, in a few well chosen sentences, having so to speak consummated the ceremony of introduction between Christchurch and the phonograph, the illustrations began. The phonograph is driven by electricity, and iv order co facilitate the hearing of the sounds to he produced a funnel is placed over the recording portion of the instrument. As the audience settled down into quiet but intense expectation Professor Archibald slipped on to the cyliuder a short cone of wax. Then from the funnel came the tones of a cornet solo, startling and eerie from its fidelity of reproduction. The wonderful double tongueing and brilliant playing of the perlormer rang j out almost as clearly as if he had been j before us. The same effect was produced by the second cornet solo, which, by the way, was played in New Yorfc by the lady champion comet player, and one felt amazed at the reproduction of sounds from tne other side of the globe, with all the effect of immediate presence. A banjo solo came next, wonderfully well done, but perhaps whilst referring to instrumental pieces, a tin whistle solo, witn the frantic endeavour of tne performer to execute a very high note most faithfully reproduced, was the most marvellous exposition of the power of the instrument to record and reproduce sounds—one could almost hear the puffing of the whistler as he vainly strove to execute what Mr Maccabe calls " the 'igh note." Another very wonderful illustration, which evoked a burst of applause from the audience, was a duet for clarionet and piano, played in Professor Edison's laboratory. The two instruments—the clarionet .specially—came out finely. But the greatest triumph was at the end of the piece, when the cheers andlaughter of those assembled iv the very cave of mystery of tne modern magician in America rang out in a hull in far .lew Zealand as distinctly as if the audleuce there assembled had been in the laboratory themselves. Professor Archibald has a keen sense of ihe humorous, and he introduced a very remarkable illustration in a funny way. .his was the reproduction of an Adelaide street baud, the brassiest probably that could be heard, in which there was a most Obtrusive euphonium aud a shockingly played coruet. One felt quite as inclined to llee as from a book agent wnen the phonograph mercilessly reproduced, this inoxt unmusical illustration. Professor Archibald's kindness did not, however, stop at instrumental music, and a great treat awaited us in the matter of vocal soios. The first of these, a song "A Warrior Bold," by Mr Bingly Shaw, of Nottingham, auug In February laac year, gave one a startle rather as the instrument couunenced to deliver It. The voice Is tha. of a very powerful and cultivated baritone, aud as the first few bars of the song rolled out iuto the Hall oue looked round iuvoluntaiily to see wnere the singer was. So perfectly were the most delicate points reproduced that one could hear where the singer took breath before tac-ding the higu sustained note, aud the golug down to the bass note at the finish. Perhaps the most perfect illustration of this facility was that in which Mi -uazelle, a popular operatic artist iv Melbourne, has a little di-icul.y in singing "The heart bowed down." His reoioustrances that he " really cannot sing it," but that he must whistle it, which he proceeds to do, were exceedingly comical. These were interspersed with pans of the song, admirably giveu, and created great amusement, ihe friends of Mr J. L. Toole, of whom there were not a few in She hail, were delighted to hear the ulcet tones of his ineiodious voice iv his well-kaowu cavatiua, " A 'norrible tale." reproduced. Then came a local record. Iv the afternoon the members of the Orpheus Quartette, Messrs Appleby, Weir, Barnett, aud Millar sang ".priug's delights" and "By Celia's arbor" into the pnonograpu. These were admirably given, all the voices coining out distinctly. As | a bonne bouche with which to close one lof the most interesting afternoons it has been our lot to have for many a year. Professor Archibald kiudly arranged to give us Mr Gladstone's message to Lord Carrington. This in order to get fully was heard by means of ear tubes. The full, round, sonorous tones of the grand old man rang in the ears of the listeners as he expressed in cultured sentences, aud with grand effect, his anticipations for the prosperity of the great colonial empire. This was the most wonderful part of this wonderful afternoon's entertainment, as ie brought one, as it were, face to face with the greatest living Englishman, in fact oue heard the tunes of his voice as if personally addressed. With I this the afternoon's illustrations closed, everyone being delighted and astounded.