BRUNSWICK HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1305, 21 January 1868, Page 2

BRUNSWICK HALL.

GRAND VOOA.Ii ASi) INSTRTTMEMAI, CONCERT. The grand vocal and instrumental concert; in aid of the funds for liquidating the debt on. the Church of. the Immaculate Conception, Mount St. Mary's, came off last evening in the Brunswick Hall, with an eclat and brilliant success almost unequalled and certainly never excelled in this city. The occasion itself, the care that had been taken to ensure success, the distinguished patronage, the popularity and well-known ability of the vocalists, and not least, the favorable character of tho weather, were enough to justify the most sanguine expectations, but there was another and far more conspicuous element in the proceedings which, perhaps, contributed more than all these towards the undoubted success of this concert: we allude to the presence of the magnificent band of the 18th Koyal Irish Regiment. There is often a monotony in either vocal or instrumental music of itself, but where, as on last evening, Tioth are judiciously combined or interspersed in the programme, an agreeable and often unexpected variety is produced—the one serving by tiie contrast to heighten the beauty and effect of the other. In this respect the concert of last evening surprised and delighted the audience, for we venture to say that' there were (Vw that anticipated so rich and so rare a musical treat as that provided for them. Is'ot often does i' fall to the lot of the people of Auckland, nay, of the Australian colonies, to witness so brilliant a display of musical ability as tliat tliey so fully enjoyed last evening, and we trust that this will not be the last occasion on which the hand of the 18th Kegiment, excelled, perhaps, by scarcely any other in the British army, nil! \ take part in entertainments of this cliarrctcr. The audience comprised the elite ot the citv. In the front seats nas an usembUige ! amongst the most brilliant and fashiun- ! able we have ever seen at any pu he entertainment in -.uckland. Kv.-ry part of me house was crowded to excess, and it could not I but have been mo ? fc uratifyi.ig to the promoters i of the concert, as well as to their generous fellow workers, to find that their uiaU'd efforts bad been crowded with a success that must have exceeded the anticipations 01 , the most sanguine. Amongst an audience .ompnsiMg many ot -lie most influential and esteemed representatives ot every class and denomination m Au.-kland «e noticed-Bistht V.i-v. Pr. IWpnllier, Bi*hop ot Auckland; -Dr A.eOot.ald, V icar-Geucral; Very Rev. PomiinV G.-.losi. ; Verr. '"• Walter McUonal.l, Prirnlo -ecretar.y ; I-'V. M D. u'Hara, iiev. James I'aul, ivev. J. r.

Hoyne, Rev. James Mc"Entagart, and Eev. P. O'Keilly ; conspicuous by their brilliant uniform, we also observed Colonel Elliott, and many officers of the 18th Kegiment, as also Captain D' Estienne, and the officers of the French transport Chevert ; Madame Carandiui, the Misses Carandini, and Mr. Walter Sherwin were also among the audience, and appeared to enjoy the entertainment with that graceful hoinnge that the highest talent and most brilliant genius ever pays, with the characteristic nobility of cultivated taste and delicacy of discrimination, to whatever it recognises as beautiful and true. _ Nothing, perhaps, next to genuine talent in the performers themselves, contributes so much to inspire them with confidence and to bring out their capabilities to the utmost advantage, as a good and thoroughly appreciative audience, and this it was that had no small share in the success of last evening's concert. Comparatively little preparation had been beitowed on the affair, but those who had ample opportunities of adequately appreciating Mr. ISrown's peculiar tact and judgment in filling the office of conductor, and the invariable eclat that attends his concerts, had full confidence in his ability to bring things to a successful conclusion, and which the sequel has fully justified. The concert opened with the rnagmheent overture. '• Masaniello " (Auber), by the band of the 18th Kegiinent. This of itself was sufficient to indicate what wns to follow, for never lias this beautiful overture been better rendered in Auckland. Then after a quintette came the song " Fairy Temple" (Glover), by Miss Kunst." followed by a duet from lN T onna (Bellini), by the Misses Shanaghan ■md Donovan, both of which were tastefully rendered. A genuine gem in instrumental music followed, it was a trumpet solo—a Prussian air with variations, composed and executed by Mr. Q.ninn, the talented bandmaster of the 18th. It would be impossible to do justice, with the space and time at our disposal, to the magnificent ninnner in which this immensely difficult but inspiriting solo was rendered. Every note was clear aud distinct; the execution was faultless, and the performer displaved a crace. a puritv of taste, and brilliant finish" that proved him to be a mnster of the instrument. During the solo the audience appeared to be spell bound with mingled surprise and delight, and at its conclusion they broke forth into one impetuous burst of applause. The performer gave as an encore " Alexis to the 1-iose," which elicited more enthusiasm. Mr. Brett followed with the new patriotic song " Kngknd's Future Kins;." in which his fine voice came out with good effect. .Next came a duet "Tell me where do Fairies" (Glover), by Miss Kunst and Mrs. Daiues, which was very nicely rendered, and well deserved the applause it elicited. The well-known song "Love F ot," by Miss Shnnnghan, was one of the vocal gemsof the evening. She was in fine Toice and sang with an archness and grace that elicited a rapturous encore, to which she responded with " .Nobody Cares for ile," calling down a shower of applause and a profusion of bouquets from the audience. The splendid waltz "Weiner Koinder" (Strauss), by the band, brought'the iirst part of the concert to a close.

After an interval, tlie second part opened wilh a selection from Auber's well known opera of " JTra Piavolo," which was spiritedly played by the band. After a quintette, " Stay, Prithee Stay," which was lairly given, came another gem " The Blind Girl to her harp" (Glover), by Miss Donovan, who was accompanied on the pianoforte by Miss Shanaghan. The touching beauty and graceful enunciation with which, this beautiful little son" was rendered won a rapturous encore, which was acknowledged with " Sweetly o'er my senses stealing," also charmingly rendered. The next wae perhaps the piece de resistance of the evening. It was a fantasia on the trombone "The Swiss Boy," arranged by Mr. Quinn, and played by Mr. J. Forrester, a bandsman of tie 18th. The masterly style in which this pif ie ■was rendered was almost marvellous, and ihe performer is no less a credit to the band to *vhich he belongs than to his regiment. He .ras applauded with a degree of warmth and enthusiasm which we say emphatically we have only once or twice seen equalled i;. Auckland, but we think here, as in some other cases throughout the programme, the audience were a little unreasonable in demanding encores, by which the concert was unnecessari'/ protracted. After another quartette came a c"aett by Mrs. Daines and Mr Brett, the " dipsy Countess" (Glover), which was /ery tastefully given. We understand ftat this is the lady's first appearance as a vocalist in public, and taking her performance of last evening as a criterion, she promises to take a high rank among our ;ocal amateurs. She possesses a sweet voice ana a charming personelle and purity of enuneiatio \. The concert was brought to a close with a gallop by the band, followed by the nations i anthem. "We may mention that Mr. Wrigl t, of the band, played the clarionet solos in thf selections with creditable taste and skill. "We have been reque ted by the promoters of this highly successful concert, to express their high sense of the ponerous patronage and assistance accorded tin m by Colonel Elliott and the officers of EM. 18th regiment, and the Garrison, Captain D' I stienne and the officers of the French Transp- rt Chevert, Mr. Quinn and the Band o( the IS :h Itegiment, Mr. Brown and the lady and gei;.lemen amateur vocalists, and lastly those w'.io contributed by their presence towards ' ie success of the entertainment.