Lonndon Bellringers and Faust Family.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 536, 25 November 1890, Page 2

Lonndon Bellringers and Faust Family.

Tflts combination opened for a short season at the Theatre Royal on Saturday nigh’, the building being crowded, The opening number was an overture, ‘ Welcome,’ composed by Her von Mehden, and played by a braes quintette, the composer himself leading on the cornet, and it was a very musical number. Victor Faust, the youngest member of the company, followed with a comic song, ‘ Mamma’s Baby Boy,’ after which the Usllringers performed the 1 Marseillaise.’ There are five performers, and they displayed so much musical skill and real ability as to call forth enthusiastic applause, As a second item, they played 1 Ring the BoP, Watchman? wills equal effect, and in response tn a further encore, to which no denial would be taken, they played ‘ Rule, Britannia.’ After a humorous Yorkshire impersonation in song and dance by Gus Lynch, Herr von Mehden came forward cornet in hand. He commenced tha well known opening strains of ‘[The Death of Nelson,' the other instrumentalists playing an accompaniment behind the scene;'. The effect was excellent. Herr Mehden showed a thorough mastery over the instrument, producing magnificent forte and beautiful piano effects. He was accorded hearty rounds of applause, and in response to an earnest encore be played alone ' Annie Laurie? the soft plaintive strains of which were most artistically and effectively produced. The comic impersonation by Eugene, ‘ Good old Mary Ann? was extremely amusing, and was received with roars of laughter. Perhaps one of the most absurd musical performances ever produced before any audience is that of Messrs F. and E Faust, two skilled violinists. It is made so immensely ludicrous that it takes time to see the cleverness of the performance, but it really is wonderful to see these brothers tumbling about on the stage, leaping somersaults over each other, playing on each other’s violins, and yet never losing time or tune. It was uproariously when there was a repetition of other extraordinary phases of their extraordinaiy powers of producing correct music under th: most perplexing circumstances. The feat of one of the brothers in playing ‘ The Carnival of Venice ’ while he held the bow with h’s kncey and ths fl Idle in both hands, was considered the acme of skill, until he placed one end of the bow on tha floor, grasped the other wi'h his knees, and rasped as if he was sawing through a log with the violin, yet re tainfng al! the air and notes of the music. As gymnasts the Fausts are simply perfect. One brother Hes on l;is flack and torses his younger brdlher off his upturned feet, but ■with such precision that h: nlways aiightg safely. In one instance, while the bay lay on his back on his brother's upturned feet he was tossed into the air, turned two complete somersaults, and alighted in a standing position ou the upturned'feat of tip roo'ining man as if it were the most natural position in the world. The saoond part of the programme was equally interesting. The Bsiirißgwe playad 1 The Blue Bells of Scotland? with variations, vary musically; then Mr Tad Faust and Herr Mehden played a duet on the mandoline and guitar, an air from I R >ooacel0?so sweetly that they had to, respond to an encore, when they substituted 1 Ooms Back to Brin,’ which was great’y appreciated. An Irish specialty, ’’ The two Mclntyres,” by Gus Lynoh and Eugene, followed, and was loudly applauded. Her Von Der Mehden gave excellent performances an glasses, as well as on the xylophone and sleigh bells, proving flis ability to produce sweet music from almost any instrument. The Faust brothers also gave other exhibitions of their wonderful drollery and skill, a most amusing feature of which was an imiy tation of the yelping of a dog, which was brought in in such an excellent manner as to fairly bring down the house. The final pantomimic sketch, “ Tbs School Days of Nicholas Nickleby/’ in which Mr Faust senior took part, convulsed the audience with laughter. That the season of this .clever combination will be an undoubted success, it is needless to say, all who attended on Saturday evening being thoroughly satisfied that the mixture of mirth and music was the best that has yet been gives before a Gisborne audience.