THE FISK JUBILEE SONGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8552, 4 August 1888, Page 6

THE FISK JUBILEE SONGS.

*—■ — Last night a most unexpectedly large attendance greeted the choir of the Papanui Wesleyan Church in their essay of the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ songs at the Theatre Hoyal. The furore that was caused by 'the advent in this Colony of the Fisk JubiUe Singers will be remembered by all wL> beard those celebrated exponents ot negro devotional melody, and at the time the choir of coloured singers was Vere, many people thought that to equal them in their own little specialty was impossible. Last night, however, the large audience who attended the concert given hy the Papanui Wesley an Church Choir found that it was quite possible for a litth circle of people who had studied the words and music of the Fisk Singers’ songt, and who possessed voices and musical ibility, to reproduce those melodies in a way quite as attractive as the original coloured choir itself. The Papanui choir deserve a high compliment for the admirable manner in which they gave the negro choruses, and played vith wonderful delicacy of touch upon thv quaint songs that had been chosen to make up the programme. The little choir ol last night was made up of five male and seven female voices. If there was any unevenness in' the balance at aD, it was in, perhaps, a slight weakness in the part of the sopranos, hat the altos were heard to advantage, and the full round voices among them madethemselvesfelt pleasingly when unison passages came in, and even to better purpose in the general harmony. The basses were gwd, honest, round - toned voices, and <lid splendid work, while the tenors were never obtrusive, but made themselves felt jusfc enough to show the sweet effect of the harmony. In "Eoll, Jordan, Eoll,” the choir produced a volume of joyous sound that had its intended effect upon the audience, and drew forth a welldeserved encore. All the other choruses were given with surprisingly pretty effect, and gave evidence at once of not only close and unremitting, but highly intelligent practice. The harmonium was finely manipulated by the lady who had charge of it, and was used as it should be in such work as an auxiliary, and not as a lead. To relieve the programme from any possible charge of monotony, recitations by Mr George Kelly and his young son were introduced. The Shaksperian dialogue between “ Prince Arthur” and “Hubert” was given by them with such telling force that an encore was enthusiastically given, and Master Kelly responded with the tale <tf John Maynard’s noble self-sacrifice at the wheel of the burning vessel. In the seicond part Mr Kelly told, with his usual power, Elihu Burritt’s tale “One Niche the Hig;hest,” and met with the hearty appreciation his fine elocution deserved. To-night the choir give another entertainment with a sufficiently varied programme to show that they have gone through and mastered the whole of the Jubilee book. The performance is well worth listening to, and, friends who relish this kind of music would do well to he present while the grand little choir have all the aid given to them of scenic effect.