THE SCOTTISH CONCERT.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2019, 26 November 1886, Page 2

THE SCOTTISH CONCERT.

Newspaper criticism, cither of professional or amateur histrionic aud muiicai efforts, has, in the colonies, so degenerated iuto a farce tlmt when special praise is thoroughly deserved honest and capab’e criticism becomes a trying and laborious duty. The Press of the colonies ins become si accustomed to favor every tinpot travelling company of broken-down stage hacks with its fulsome prai.es and to “crack up” eery local amateur effort, good, bad and indifferent,that it is a hard matter to find new adjectives for real y goo i shows. In bands of the newspaper critic the really good show must therefore suffer by comparison of critiques with tho3e of an indifferent character. We are constrained to make tiiese remarks— and we know they are open to attack from our brother critics because we desire to record our sincere approbation of the concert given in Ewart’s Hall last evening under the auspices of the Marlborough Caledonian Society. Without going through the programme item by item we may say of the whole that it was exceedingly well arranged,well managed and well rendered, and that the concert in musicd excellence, both vocal and instrumen al.would compare very favorably with similar entertainments held in Otago an 1 Southland—the colonial home of the sons of Caledonia, stern and wild.. • The hall was packed almost to discomfort, the audience was enthusiastic, demonstrative and appreciative and all but one or two of the items on the programme were resdemanded. Perhaps, from the viewpoint of novel y, the most attractive part of the programme were the several contributions of the piper engaged by the Society to perform at the concert. To say that Macdonald plays the pipes well and dances tha national “fling” with grace and precision is but to speak the bare truth of -the' performances of the Champiou. But the . instrumental items on the programme Were really the musical gems. Nothing to our mind could eclipse the" brilliancy of execution , the flexibility of expression—thßt ia hardly the musical term, but it conveys our meaning—the general excellence of the piano *olo of, Scotoh -selections given by Miss Clark. This talented pianiste, who' has so firmly established herself as a favorite with Blenheim audiences, was compelled to respond to a vociferous encore. An instrumental trio, “Scotia’s Pride,” Mr G. Henderson (violin), Mp J. P- Lucas (piano) and Mr Eokford(clarionet), w»3 aho a great success aud was received' with ' doafenffig cheers of approbation and reca'l. The beauty of the melodies of the Land of the mountain and the flood fouad a host of capable exponents, chiefly among whom perhaps, wore Mrs Dillon, wljo *auv Jock o’ Hazeldeao” in full and rich tones, aqd ‘f ’Twas within a mile o’ Edinburgh Toon,” in each song securing an encor.; Miss Wemyss, who reud red very sweetly “ Logie o’ Buchan” (encore); Mi*s Speel, v.ho was very successful in that plaintive melody “Flora Macdonald’s Lament'’ (encore), and Mis' Falconer, whose chaste and simple rendering of “ My heart is sdr for somebody,” quite brought down the house It was a real treat to hear again those verv old favorites, “ Huntiogtower” (duet) and ‘ Robin Adair,” which, in the hand* Qf Miss Gillespie.and Mr Thornton and Mrs Arthur Lupliflcld, lost none of their ’ o.d 'clurnC We like to (reserve something good for the last, and jn disposing of the lady performers. we cannot refrain front specially noticing Mrs ] Mullen’s creditable “get up” snl render- j ing of “Caller Herrin,” reminding us I very ’much of poor dead and gone Florence j Colville, with whom tho song was a j l.vorite interlude. Theoth r performs s ; were Messrs W. ti. Falconer, who opened the programme with a capital rendering

of ‘‘O’ a’ the sirts the wind ijp bl»w Mr .Torn f 1 i , whi nearly killed ids audience wi h that daft-like word ‘ Iniph-m' and who had to sing half the song over again before they were salisfied, and Mr Donald M'Calluru who gave song to the noble word* of Sco'lan i’s only bard, ‘■ A man’s amm for a’ that”. The orchestra, (Messrs Rabbits (violiu) Carry (cornet) and Ogilvie (piano) plays 1 the opening overtures to each section of the programme and the accompanyists were Mis* Clark and Mr and Mrs J. P. Lucas. At the interlude the President of the Society came forward and in a few wellchosen remarks thanked ths audience fur their patronage and promised that very shortly the Society would provide another entertainment of a similar description —a promise that, we feci sure, all who were present last night will hopo to see speedily fulfilled- At the conclusion of the programme all the performers appeared upon the stage and sang tho national and patriotic song of Scotland, in which the- audience j lined lustily for Auld Lang Syne. [This notice was unavoidably crowded out of yesterday’s is me ]