UNKNOWN

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1977, 20 May 1870, Page 3

UNKNOWN

I v ,r equina the first of a series of entertain- (■ ti bo "Wen t! rou"!ioi;f the winter "■Uu ciimc .-ff r, the Hall. There , [V . t i ir ,r.. -.nidu-nec n.o cntcrtaiuriVii! '»* "successful as an cxpen nent. I* ci np'i-' , 1 readings from eminent, autlio.-s, ..Vr/ bVllii'U, ii.usic:il selections. The mu-i'-al portion was excellent-, mid tone pr.uso U <lnr to the verv strong choir which assisted in tlie choruses ;*h:it we ran =4 lake exception to one or tw» of the readings, which were cxhen.elv had. A gentleman who wad a portion of "Marmion" deserves, m-<U-,d censure for the very uttempt. And ~.,,_. s . l - thit :>U the reading* given last e-enir..' were too lon-. Even where there exi-t* aptitudes for giving cflect to an author s meaning, experience also is required to sustain S e lnTe« S t. P The Kev. Mr. Dudley opened the proceedings with an introduetorj address, which had the rare merit of bemg appontc and brief. -'lie reading comprised' llio Pr..'re<s of the Kcse," a beautiful poem somewhnt ephemeral, but too long in the dcliverv ilr. Pierce, "Mrs. Caudle upon the economv of cold mutton," well read. " Marmion," "too long, and abominably read A recitation (by a lady amateur), whith recounted the adventures of a French gentleman in pursuit of matrimony, who mistakes the Chatham for the Cheltenham coach: Uio broken French and English was well rendered but it-was scarcely sufficiently well heard to be appreciated. A reading, entitled " Sfcnes in the Life of a Showman, wouJU bavc had double the effect had it concluded ,vitU the marriage or the " bitching" of the ■■bowman As it w.-s it was not onlv too I'.MV hilt- it should Ir.vo been borne in mind Lint the humour, which is merely <xuberant in Ihe perusal, may be suggestive of coarseness in tli« recital. A Me from " Henry TV. iv.,s att-mp'ed, but the pnge. who disnatrhe.l witli lcUor* to the kmg fell foul of ,nd upset the water-bottle. One of the in the side of his head without -ffout We are rather explanatory, because fIK-re'is no more delightful performance than , m «i.r,. from an eminent author tatSiV-encc, taste, «:d dUeernment. There ire three requisites, and thsre is some danger that if they be not cultivated the enjoyment D f reading itself will be impaired. Mr Kice ead a chapter from "David Copperftold -tceedin"lv"well. The musical programme "Hnrk. 'tU the Indian Drum iml r,-a=ou to change H"* opii". •'