MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10785, 24 October 1895, Page 3

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES.

Canterbury Times. AUSTRALIA. A cable message reports that Miss Elsie Hall, of Sydney, won tho Mendelssohn stipeudium at Berlin. The prize is fifteen hundred marks, and the competition was open to all Germany, Mr J. J. Miller, theatrical printer of Melbourne, is bringing out a special Australian histrionic directory, enumerating and describing theatres, managers, actors, dramatists, localisers, song-writers, variety artists, &c. The Prairie King, produced at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, on Got. 5, with Mr King Hadley, an American actor, in the lead, ia of the sensational order. One of tho features in this line is a scene in which a horse and its rider are precipitated into water from a bridge. In order to have'this thoroughly realistic a huge tank was introduced at Her Majesty’s. The following reference to the late Neville Barnett is taken from the Sydney “ Bulletin ” .-—Sydney loses a hue musician and expert musical critic in Neville Barnett, who died last week of throat and lung disease at the early age of forty-one. Mr Barnett was well-known as the orgAnist at St Mary’s Cathedral, and for some time acted as musical critic for the “ Sydney Morning Herald ” and “ Evening News,” He has left tho musical world richer by a number of excellent compositions aid two works oa theory, Courtice Pounds, whet is to replace Joseph Tapley ia tho Firm’s domic Opera Company, is a refined and clever singer and dancer, and an able musician. Entering as a chorister at the London Savoy Theatre, he soon made hia way, and ultimately became leading tenor at that house. Foremost among hia creations wore Colonel Fairfax in The Yeoman of the Guard, Marco in The Gondoliers, and Vincent in Ma Mie Rosette. He has recently been touting the provinces in His 'Excellency (Gilbert and Carr).

FOREIGN. Madams Patti has under consideration an offer of .£ISOO each for fifty performances io. South America, ail expenses paid in addition. Nob every actress who marries a peer’s son is aa practical as Lady Sholto Douglas, who has applied for admission to the High School, Alameda, U.S.A„ with a view to “ self-improvement.” Her ladyship has not yet been enrolled, as there exists a doubt in the mind of the principal as to the eligibility of a married woman for the academy, and Lady Sholto’s application has been referred to the superintendent, who has taken the matter under, his consideration. Lord Sholto Douglas is a son of the Marquis of Quuenebury. Sir Augustus Harria has secured the -right to perform at the Eoyal Opera, Covent Garden,* the late Benjamin Godard's La Vivamlierc, produced a short time ago at the Paris Opera Comique with great success. Godard was a composer of splendid abilities, who, like so many others, failed to receive in his lifetime the honour duo to his merits. He left La Vivandiera unfinished, but his friend M. Paul Vidal found sufficient indications of the composer’s intention to enable him to complete the orchestration. The libretto is by M. Henri Cain. The Music Hall (writes A. B. Walkley, in the “ Speaker,”) is at present the great amusement of the English people. It earns more money and pays its " artistes (some of whom are artists) higher salaries than the theatre. Under vigilant municipal supervision it has learned to conduct itself well. It exercises an enormous influence upon the politics, the philosophy and the aesthetics of the race. * * * These reflections almost reconcile roe to the strains of “ Tew little gurls in blew” which are still floating, in the Surrey dialect, through my window. It is not " all honey ” (says the " Era ” of August 16) to have to play the villain, especially when the very excellence of your impersonation puts you in danger. At the Princess’s, Glasgow, last Saturday, during the performance of Jaclc-in-the-Box, the occupants of the gallery were thoroughly incensed at the wickedness of the villain of the piece, and someone shouted " Throw a brick at him.” Donald Sutherland, one of the "gods,” replied, “I haven’t a brick.” “ Well, then,” was the rejoinder, « strike him with a bottle,” and Donald, overcome with excitement, hurled a beer bottle on to the stage. It missed the "bold, bad man,” but nearly struck one of the ladies of the company on the head. The local bailie, in passing sentence of a guinea or twenty-one days’ imprisonment, remarked that the character of the acting at the Princess’s must be of a high order of merit, since it evoked such displays of sympathy. _______________