"LADIES' NIGHT"

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2206, 20 July 1914, Page 5

"LADIES' NIGHT"

. ;;,: & - OF THE WELLINGTON SAVAGE CLUB. <Time was when the members of the Wellington Savage Club were wont to make a big effort -in the entertaining lino_ for the one "ladies' night" given during the season, but that time iB apparently gone. As was tho case last year, the programme presented on Saturday evening at the Town HalHackcd that cheerful Bohemian daring, originality and snap which, was onoo the order and resolved itself into the conventional concert-cum-vandevill© entertainment that was hardly remarkable for the standard of merit displayed. Tho one rather surprising novelty was.the singing of "When Other Lips" by the Chief Savage (Sir Joseph Ward). The singer, was. encored, and produced that; deloctablo classic in, witless "comics,"' "The Bog Down in the Meadow." The standard 'of the. concert was set,' in a large measure, by the orchestra—a good little band, too—which played a couple of Sousa marches, and two very : ragged "rags," : under the baton of Savage D. Konny. Indeed the programme had rather, more than a seasoning of the somewhat cheap and ,tawdry American music in its make-up. Messrs. Wilford, iun., and Bcauchamp (the latter attired as'a lady wearing a transparent skirt which. faithfully suggested the'fashion of the time) danced the American Bunyip Tango, a very slow and uninteresting measure, in which the dancers were nover in time to the musio (and in tho tango rhythm is everything), but they made some amends afterwards by "ragging" rather gracefully.' Savage Connors dashed through a banjo solo at top speed, showing the audience just .what banjo-playing,should not be; and Savage (Dr.) Purdy recited Alfred Noyos's finely-dramatio poem, "The Highwayman," with fair success. Savage Dr. Norman Hales is always acceptable in; his dialect and was as faithful to type as ever in the song, "When Silas P. Hank Visited New York." Ho was given a hearty encore, and returned with "Wop,' Wop, Wop, which is not a good song of its kind. Savage Boeufve lowered the temperature with a depressing fragment from Donizetti's "La Favourita,'" ana* Savage Norman Aitken cleverly conveyed the alcoholic garrulousness of "Sairey Gamp" (in character). A nicely-balanced quartet consisting of. Savages Williams, Boeufve, Jackson, and Hickmott sang "Lovely Night"' and "Beware," with somo regard for 'artistic restraint 'and voon] refinement. The second part of the programme saw an improvement. Savage A.' W. Newton danced with all bis old agility and grotesquely as "Tho Tlzz Guzz Goozolum," another edition of the "bogie .man" of our early Youth, and Savage J. 0. Bell told a mildly amusing story about a stutterer who whistled Jus conversation;. Savage Laslett Exton was easily tho best ballad singer of the evening. He has a light tenor voice of musi.cal quality, and sings with understanding and finish,' Ho sang "Like Stars Above," and. as an'encore "Como Into the Gardoii, Maud." Mr. H. Hodges sang .a .iiciy. setting by Chadwick (American) of "The Bedouin Love Song" (which is not comnarablp to the old). "The Danza." a dainty little waltz song, rather exotically coloured, and as an encoro "Angels Guard Thee," sung very sweetly in the half-voice. Humorous songs found a ' capablo exponent in Savage D. A..Kenny, whose items, "A Handv Little Thing to Havo About you," and; "No," wero provocative of much smile-shino. Savage Truda played exquisitely on the flute. "Row, Row, Row," was chirruped by Savage Gosling, and Savage Secretary Dvkes chortled tho Lauder hilarity, "A Wee Deoch an' Dhoris." Supper was during a twenty minutes' interval.