AMUSEMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 13092, 27 October 1908, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

MISS IRENE AINSLEY. By all means go and hear Miss Irene Ainsley this evening at His Majesty's Theatre. It will be the last opportunity) in Dunedin. The large audience that greeted this young lady last night may be relied bn to endorse the Statement that she possesses an uncommon voice of rare possibilities—strong, firm in the lower register, and of good quality in parts. By-and-by, when Miss Ainsley has further developed the artistic side of her training, she may, if she chooses, take a prominent place amongst the known Meantime, it is mostly for the sake of hearing her voice that our people are recommended to give their patronage to the one remaining concert. To be candid, the 6ongs chosen by Miss Ainsley for last night's programme are not such as to enable a real contralto to do herself justice. The ' Samson and Delilah' air with which of late we have been made familiar suffers by being lowered to the contralto range. _ Even taken, in its ordinary key this composition calls up all the resources of a flexible mezzo soprano, and as sung by a contralto it becomes leaden-footed and cold. So, too, with the ' Happy Song,' given by Miss Ainsley in response to one -of the encores. It must be sung with lightness and gaiety, or it loses its character, and only one contralto out of a thousand can command these qualities. It is perfectly true that many songs intended for soprano or mezzo soprano are published in lower keys, but that is no justification of the use of these abased editions. They may be supposed to be sold for the use of worn and cracked voices. A young singer coming to her prime, as 'Miss Ainsley is, would be wise to select recognised contralto songs. There was one such -song on last night's programme—the old 'but by no means threadbare ' Out on the rocks'—and it was in this that Miss Ainsley made her best effects, the interpretation recalling many pleasant memories from the time of Fannie Carandini onward. The audience were also pleased with the singing of ' The Little Silver Ring.' and next in the favor of the listeners seemed to be Metcalfe's ' Absent,' though critics thought that in this the expression was somewhat forced. Further practice on the concert platform will probably raise Miss Ainsley's singing value by 100 per cent, or more. It may be hoped that she will not only keep more strictly to the contralto domain, but that she will also bring her lower notes, which now constitute a separate section, into better relationship with the middle register. Her middle voice is at present thin and variable. When the whole voice is linked up properly, so as to get evenness of quality as between the show notes under the stave and that peculiarly musical upper register of hers. Miss Ainsley will make a name for herself. She is a singer of big possibilities, and already so far advanced in her studies as to be distinguishable from the mediocre contraHtos who ripen immaturely and then stick fast. The audience Listened with much pleasure to Mr M. Hamilton Hodges, the Auckland baritone. His singing is characterised by sincerity and ardor. Even though we did not always catch the words when he was using the mezzo voce last night—for he scarcely had the pitch of the haE—the songs that, he sang set the people aflame. Hs is full! ot what they call temperament. He seems to feel what he sings, and he makes the people feel too. These are the marks of a real artist. In regard to technique, also, Mr Hodges satisfies the most critical. He has a true ear, his production is Al, and his power in working up a crescendo is simply surprising, last night he seemed to be a little thick in the voice when singing the toreador's song from ' Carmen,' but he threw off this disability, and lifted the people to enthusiasm by his magnificent interpretation of 'Thy Foe'" (Blumenthal). The pianist of the occasion, Ernest H. Queree. gave two solos, and also played the accompaniments. Of her solos we preferred Rubinstein's staccato study. It was clean and clever, though rather much on a dead level as to tone. Corelli's gavotte, the other solo, is one of the light pieces of which Frieden-. thai made a special study, and he spoiled it for the majority of players. In the role of accompanist Mrs Queree showed much skill, particularly when playing for Miss Ainsley. Nearly everything * was encored, and the audience are practically committed (though in this they take but little risk) to advising their friends to go to-night. BURNS-SQUIRES PICTURES. • Sport on a screen is the attractive entertainment provided hi the Princess Theatre these nights to large audiences. The chief attraction is the pictorial representation of the Burns' Squires fight at Sydney. It is worth seeing. The Dunedin eeason ends on Thursday night. For the tliroe remaining nights the real Bill Squires will describe the incidents of the great fight, and give an exhibition of boxing, including details of training, such as ball-punching, ekipping-rope exercise, and the like. " Athletes who are a bit stodgy in their movements—too many are—would do well to see Bill Squires move about. For the benefit of ladies it may be. mentioned that in connection with the series of FrancoBritish Exhibition sports films a representation of physical exercise by Danish girls is good to see. 'THE MIKADO.' A full-dress rehearsal of 'The Mikado,' which is to be staged at His Majesty's Theatre to-morrow evening by the Dunedin Operatic Society, was held in that theatre on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the trial performance the characters were well sustained and sung, and the choruses were taken with crispness and brightness. Miss May Black (chorus tutoress and ballet mistress) and Mr Sidney Wolf (musical conductor) had details well in hand, and patrons may expect to wit-% ness a capable representation of the opera. Tho box plan, which is open at the Dresden, is in a fair way to beat the ' Geisha' record, and those who intend having a good seat .will be wise to book earlyi