THE BLACK FAMILY.

Evening Star, Issue 11891, 20 May 1903, Page 6

THE BLACK FAMILY.

This combination of musicians will open in the Princess's Theatre on Monday night. Since their last appearance in Dunedin some months since the whole of the northern portion of this island has been traversed with considerable success. The family consist of six members. Miss Nellie Vaughan Black, who has earned a New Zealand reputation, has a contralto voice of considerable range, melodiousness, and sympathy, This young lady is also an entertaining trickster on the violin, and she gives imitations of two violins playing a duet, of the bagpipes, concertina, church organ, a trombone solo in a village band, a canary whistling, and of a man going home late at night. Mr Black, sen., is a delineator of Scotch character, whose conuc songs are greatly appreciated. Mr Bertie Black plays a cornet solo and dances an Irish jig, besides giving an exhibition on a tubephone, a Chinese trumpet, and providing acceptable music out of a broom stick and a pair of bellows. Miss Elsie, it the fan gavotte skirt dance, pleases all '■ by her natural and unaffected performance. Mrs Black is the accompanist. The programme consists of a number of items vocal and instrumental, all serving to show the undoubted versatility of the performers, each of the executants having opportunities of manipulating two or more items. A couple of comic sketches rendered conclude the entertainment. As popular prices are only to be charged, the Black Family ought to be greeted with a packed house at the Princess's on Empire Day. The box plan is now open at the Dresden.