STUDENTS’ RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 262, 1 August 1929, Page 6

STUDENTS’ RECITAL

CLEMENT MAY AND PUPILS. The Concert Chamber was well filled last night When Mr. Clement Maj’ and his pupils gave a very interesting elocutionary entertainment, the first of Its class, by the way, for some time. Mr. May is always earnest and sincere in his work, and his two appearances on the programme lent it due weight and dignity. Notably was that the case in the famous Wolsey Soliloquy (delivered in costume and full make-up) from “Henry VIII,” beginning “Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness,” one of the finest and most poignant speeches in the language, beautiful in its expressiveness and ripe with pearls of philosophic wisdom that could only be given to a truly great man. Mr May spoke the lines Impressively and was heartily applauded, lie was assisted by Mr. V. Fletcher as Cromwell. Mr. May was also seen to advantage as Jack Selby in that one-time well-known playlet. “Breaking the Ice,” in which Mrs. Norah Pringle played Margaret Marton. Another capital sketch was that, from “David Copperfield.” in which. the idiosyncrasies of Wilkins Micawber—-an oiitst’ading figure in Dickens’s gallery of plausible humbugs—are so strikingly displayed. The character was cleverly limned by Mr. Norman Aitken, who was very amusing throughout the sketch. Copperfield was played by Mr. Hedley Aitken, Miss Lottie Rastall was Mrs. Micawber, and Mrs. Crtipp. the landlady, was played by Miss Dorothy Seymour. Capitally costumed and mounted, the trying scene between Juliet and iter parents from “Romeo and Jnliet” was conscientiously done. Miss Dorothy Pahn-Milletr. who made an attractive Juliet, was rather apt to sing her lints than speak them “trippingly from the tongue," but Capulet was played with spirit by Mr. W. J. Mountjoy. and Miss Clarice Ross tls Lady Capulet and Miss Edith Hind as.the nurse were both in the picture. Another excerpt from Shakespeare was the scene between Brutus ant) Cassius from “.Tillius Caesar.” with Mr. W. J. Hall as Brutus and Mr. W. J. Mount.loy as the fiery Cassius. Mr. John Watchman appeared effectively as the Artful Dodger in “Oliver Twist." and Miss Marian Godber spoke Katherfna’s advice to wives from “Tlie Taming of the Shrew" with excellent point.- Master Robert Chyne gave a rather juvenile exposition of Uriah Heep in the office scene from “David Copperfield”: Miss E. Goldsmith recited “The Lesson of the Water-mill." and Miss Nancy Owen contributed Stephen Leacock's merry jest on "The New Food." Cedrie Muir recited “If Life Wore a Play.” and four little tots—Patricia Holmes. Rfine Nelson, Marjory Elliott, and Edna Lamb—recited (with action) the nursery classic "The House that Jack Built,” and, Individually, brief verses appropriate to their ages.