MR. ROBERT PARKER'S CONCERT.

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 52, 30 August 1894, Page 3

MR. ROBERT PARKER'S CONCERT.

0. Tho andience which attended Mr. Robert Parker's annual concert at Thomas' Hall last evening was a largo one, and included His Excellency the Governor and party It was a most excellent concert — probably the best, undoubtedly the most enjoyable — Mr. Parker has yet given. Ihe chief characteristic was the variety of items— the first appearance in public of the Wellington Liedertafol, the reappearance on the Wei* lintrton concert platform of such well-known performers as Lady Campbell and Miss Dudgale, and last, but not least, the introduction of a new artist with, to a Wellington audience a comparatively new instrument, the viola alta. Herr Balling, the performer in qnestion, is the Principal and founder of the Kelson Musical College, and he and his instrument certainly created a most favourable impression last night, in the two items whioh they contributed to the programme. Tho first was Rubenntein's lovely sonata in F Minor, op. 53, for the viola alta and piano, and though the pieoe ocoupied 40 ininntes, the audience showed no symptoms of impatience, but listened attentively throughout and applauded the player to the eobo when he bad finished. The rich melody of tho second movement was admirably played. His other contribution was a concert fantasie for the same instruments by Jtitter, full of richness and be&utifnlly interpreted. Both, of the pieces were played entirely from memory, and worn fine performances, in the honours of which Miss Dugdale, who played the sympathetic accompaniments, joined. Tbe Liedertafel contributed largely to the r success of the concert, both orchestra and vocalists assisting. The part songs v /ere "The Equinox," ''Olaf Trygvason," " Image of the Hose" (a oharming number, w ; t th tenor solo by Mr. J. Jiiurrell), "A F f anklyn'a Dogge Leapt over a Stile " (a humorous number, rendered with great U' Jo ti on ) fend " Olaf's Home Coming" (with. baBS BO 'i a by h Wright) The mci Mh9m aUo ftup J . plied the chorus to a roli Jcki oaTa K e r Ti B> I £ x ° w m ?r A ™ D F' rang in excellent style by Mr. F. V Wate- M f hg oro hestral numbers were, the "P^edictus" of Mac kenzie, and a pretty little romance oom . posed by Mr. Pb er> which waa very heartily applaude d _ The i nB t rn mentalists also assisted Mis- A abaut one of Mr Park6r ' 8 pupils, who m Ado her first and snooesßfn i appearance ap ,a piano soloist, in the Capriocio in B Minor •df Mendelssohn. The only other instrumep pieoe Wftß gohumaim . 8 O p. 46, axcenen 4 j v pi aye a a 8 a due (; f or twot w0 pi ano s °y r u '"j«es M, Myers and Hamerton. The ieb 'rfSUeder (Songs of Love) Waltzes of {*" alui\S, wbioh wero sung by Lady Campbell, j£\b& M. Myers, and Messrs. J. A. Day and J. Whittall, the Misses Hamerton playing the duet ftocompivniment on the pianoforte, were rather disappointing, aa the voices of the singerß did not blend nicely. Lady Campbell gave a Buocessful rendering of two of Grieg's quaint melodies, " 0 Love of Mine " and " Solvej's Song," the trilliDg refrain in the latter being a very pretty pieoe of vocalisation. Mrs. H. Burfoot, contralto, sang Sullivan's " Sleep, my Love, Sleep," and Mr. J. Prouse the fine recitative and air, " Let the Dreadful Engines " (Puroell), both singers securing well-merited applause. Mr. Parker kept rigorously to his hard and fast rule not to allow encores, but in one or two"instances the audience insisted upon the performers bowing their acknowledgments. Mr. Mao Duff Boyd led the orchestra, and Mr. Parker wielded the baton and played several of the accompaniments. The concert concluded shortly before 11 o'olook, but was so enjoyable that the lateness of the hour did not appear to be notioed by those present.

The instruments at the Colonial Museum show that rather more than 1J inohes of rain foil laat night. Most of it fell after midnight. A landslip occurred in Lawrence-streot, Newtown, to-day, when several tons of spoil from the edge of tho Town Belt poured into the rear of a dwellinghonse occupied by Mr. Alford. The furniture was damaged to a considerable extent, and the floor of the building was flooded. Judgment for plaintiffs was entered up in the Magistrate s Court to-day in the following undefended cases:— R. Hannah v. Warima Hania, .£2O 12s 9d ; Empire Loan Co. v. A. Cameron and M. R. Taylor, wgls 12s 6d ; same v. M'Loughlin, Barker, and M'Caull, £43;" H. B. Kennerly v. F. Harding, £2 16s j Staples & Co. t. P. M'llroy, claim .£35 18s, judgment for w£lo 10s; M. Hawthorne v. A. O'Connor, £1 0s 6d ; Cook & Gray v. Miss Austin, .£3 ; J. It. Johnston v. W. J. Symons, .£2 10s Bd. In the case of M. Collins v. Mrs. Ah Long, a claim for £7, judgment was given for defendant. Judgment summonses : — J. Thompson v. K. M'-Randall, .£2l ss, debtor ordered to pay forthwith, or undergo 2 weeks' imprisonment ; Staples, Steele, and Tuckwell v. T. Noehan, .£l l7s 6d, order for payment at the rate of 5s per week. The Norsh Otago Times, referring to the Waitaki High School, says it " has been a huge mistake from its inception. There I was no real necessity for suoh a school, nor for the High Schools throughout the colony outside the large oentres. At the present time it costs the Board of Governors of Waitaki High School about .£3O to educate each pupil attending the school, and of this amount the State provides about £24, and if we take the interest on the money invested in buildings. Ao., the actnal cost per pupil cannot be far short of £40. This is paying pretty stiff for onr educational whistle, especially when it is well known that the same result could have been attained for about a tenth of the money. Similar schools in other towns are no better, and they only exist as white elephants to the State. There is nothing educational that bleeds the colony bo freely, with such poor results, as these High Sohools." Mr. Trimnell's organ rpcital at St. Peter's Church, whioh was to have taken place tonight, is postponed until Tuesday next, on account of the weather.

For con.tvn.VMt ton oj reacting matter ue jourth page.