A Lady's Utter.

Manawatu Herald, 16 August 1894, Page 3

A Lady's Utter.

Weljmnoton, August 14th, 1898. The great evetlt of the week has been the advent of the Belle Cole Concert Company. How I wish you could have heard Madame Cole sing •• The Lost Chord ?" It was truly magnificent and was greatly enhanced by the accompaniment which consisted of the piano (Mr Silver), the organ (Mr R. Parker), and the violin (Mddle. Murkens). I have heard the same song by Patey and Antoinette Sterling but neither came up to the rendering by Madame Cole. She sang *other songs and gave as encores "The Swanee River," •• Daddie " and such like, which I thought a pity as we would so much rather have heard her again in better music. We can hear euch songs any day but it is seldom that we can listen to anyone who can interpret Sullivan's masterpieces or other songs of that description. Mr Magrath, the bass singer of the Company, also delighted everyone and has a fine voice which he uses perfectly, indeed be created almost as great a sensation as Madame Cole, his most powerful effort being the " Bedouin Love Song." The company is completed by Mddle. Muikens, a talented violinist, Miss Gwen Daviee, the soprano, and Mr Jackson the tenor, the last two mentioned, singing pleasingly but not calling for special mention. In the audience, which was a large and fashionable one, on the opening night were His Excellency the Governor, Lady Alice Boyle, Captain and Mrs Stewart, Major Elliott and Captain Clayton. It happened that on the same night Mrs T. C. Williams gave a large children's party, as a old fashioned Minuet was danced, a number of ladies and gentlemen were invited to watch the performance, which was an exceedingly pretty one and gave quite an old world and quaint idea of the graceful dance which was so often performed during the 18th Century and I am afraid it kept a good many people away from the concert. Those who danced in the Minuet were the Misses Una and Githa Williams, Ida Russell and Elise Riddiford and the Masters Williams, Rawson, Haseldean and Tolhurst and all wore beautiful watteau costumes, the girls in trailing satins and brocades and bigh powdered hair, patches, and the boys in black velvet suits, powdered wigs and patches. There were about 50 or 60 children there and the sight, when all were dancing, was an animated and merry one. The Artillery Ball last Friday night was a great success, taking place at Thomas' Hall. The hall and supper table were beautifully decorated and two cannon were appropriately decorated and placed upon the stage. I noticed among the guests Capt. and Mrs Johnston Stewart, Mrs H. D. Bell, Dr and Mrs Collins, Mr and Mrs A. Pearce, Miss Pearce, Mr and Mrs Verry, Mr and Mrs D. Riddiford, Miss Keiller, the Misses Grace, the Misses (Walter) Johnston, Sir Walter and Miss Buller, Miss Cooper, Miss Palmer, olChristehurch, and many others. The ball given by Mr and Mrs G. Hutchison last night was a most enjoyable one and all the arrangements were perfect. The recherche champagne supper wa3 quite a feature and was beautifully laid out and decorated. The drawing-room and ballroom also looked bright and pretty with flowers, ferns, etc. Mr and Mrs Hutchison received, the latter being handsomely dressed in black sparkling with gold. The Misses Hutchison, of Dunedin, wore black, and others present were Lady Augusta Boyle, Capt. and Mrs Stewart, the latter wearing a lovely grey and pink brocaded satin gown, Sir Maurice O'Rorke, Mrs W. Johnston, Mr J. G. Wilson, Capt. and Mrs Russell, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, the Hon. R. and Mrs Pharazyn, Dr and Mrs Newman, Mrs Tolhurst, Mrs Bell, Mr and Mrs Travers, the Misses Grace, Col. Pox, Mr and Mrs Larnach, Mr W. H. Mongomery, Mr and Mrs Gee, besides a number of other friends. SIGNA.