ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17652, 13 December 1920, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS.

I STUDENTS' RECITAL. ! A high standard of musical accomplish- | ment is generally associated with the vocal I and pianoforte recitals by student* of Mr. | Walter Irapett. and the bright function | given by him and a numerous coterie of I advanced students in the Town Hall concert | chamber on Saturday evening was no ex- | ceplion to the rule A lengthy programme j of operatic excerpt.-, art songs and duets, as well as pianoforte solos, was handled with j expedition, without the tedium of indulging | in encores. The stage, tastefully arranged I by the Misses Coldie. was the subject of ; favourable comment. In general, the choice j of programme pieces suited well tiie techmI cal equipment and personality of the lnj dividual student, with the happiest results. | Considerable executive and temperamental I gifts, as well as maturity of perception, I were displayed by Mr. 'J. J. Hoare. the Misses Violet Lambert, Dons Bagnall. Elsie I Stephens. Lilhs Walker. Elsie Rankin, Violet Dunnet, Ida Walker. Rita Thomas. and Messrs. Kenneth Impett and Thomas Mortimer in an array of vocal masterpieces which were clearly to the liking of the audience, while successful first appearances were also made by Misses Wilma Slattery. | Taenia Hyde, Annie Eletcher, Muriel Crook. j and Messrs. Gilbert Slattery, Duncan, Cat- ! tanach and Philip Martin in an interesting series of songs. 'ihe vocal duet " The ; \oyagers." by Misses Violet Lambert and : Lillis Walker was exceedingly well done, ; while the closing concerted item, " Trot ; Here and There," sung by Miss Elsie Kan- . kin and Mr. Kenneth Impett. was remark- | anie for dash and precision. In the piu.no- | iorte department tastetul and well-fingered : expositions were secured. Miss Ada Bain- ; bridge was responsible for Chopin's I " Polonaise" in C Sharp Minor, Miss Mar- • June Arey was set down for the same composer s " Fantaisie Impromptu." while Miss Irene McCarthy found attentive hearers in -.lacDowell's " Polonaise." A graphic reading of the descriptive pianoforte duet, .'.Norwegian Artists' Carnival" was forthcoming from Miss Marjorie Arey r.nd Mr Walter Impett. The latter, in fulfilling the arduous duties ot accompanist, had much to do. and gave invaluable assistar.ee to the • soloists. MUNICIPAL CHOIR. | An attractive programme woe submitted 1 at the carol concert in the Town Hall on , Saturday evening. There was a good attendance, and the vsnous choral numbers and I organ works were well received. The Mum- I i cipal Choir sang "The First Xowell," "Sleep , iloiy Babt-." Judge Me, 0 Lord." "Listen. Lordlings, Unto Me." "A Child This Dav is Bom, ' "The Coventry Carol," and "Halle- i 'Uja-h Chorus." The city organist, Mr. i Maughan Barnett rendered works by Faulkes, ■ Cesar Frnnck. and an arrangement of the ; "Adeste Fidelia " The choir organist wa= | Mr Edgcr Randall I OPERA HOUSE. I A new programme will be submitted at the Opera House to-day. Henri French will , make his reappearance after an extended I tour of Australia, while Desperado and Eddy, ; j novelty acrobats will be seen for the first : i time m Auckland. Ward and Sherman will j ; commence their last week. Contributions | j will r.iso be given by Hal Ra.Lc, pianist; , j Rex. lightning sketch artist: De Wilfred, i ; xylophonist; Carlton Max and Jerry; and i j Evans and Dean. < j HANDEL'S "MESSIAH." ! ° f ereat mas3!?'U f he Messiah," is invariably lej earded by lovers ot this work in the light ; I ot a rengious and devotional service, it lul > t v ßuch a rirm h<>Jd °" British ; near.and become so much a part of British ' ute that a, halo 01 sacred associations has I surrounded it. The words of the oratorio, as everyone knows, are selected from Holy writ, and a sublime theme is unfolded In i | language simply in conception and familiar ! to all. ihat Handel was no sluggard- m , j S?SP° 8 iV on - V eTldert from the tact that ihe Messiah " begun en August 22, *va,s ! ! finished on September 12, occupying only 21 1 ' j' dya , , !r . om its inception to completion. The | Lord-Lieutenant ot Ireland invited Handel I to Dublin to direct some concerts in aid of i I several charities. "In order to give this I I nation something new" he composed "The I Messiah," the first performance of which j j took place in Dublin on April 12, 1742, and | before an audience of 700 people. In these days it is amusing to note that the announce- I . ment of the performance contained a. pathe- | tio appeal to the ladies not to appear in j hoops ant< to the gentlemen to leave their I ewords all home, and it is to the credit of the ladies that they lesponded to the appeal I of the committee. 'ihe Auckland Choral I | Society has, with few exceptions, annually I produced this oratorio to crowded houses I I for over 50 years past, and the performance j I to-morrow evening is anticipated -with addi- | . tional interest owing to the special engage- | i ment of two of Britain's leading singers in j i the persons of Mias Amy Evans, soprano, I and Mr. Eraser fS-ange, bass, a&sisted by Miss '; Laura- Stone. Mr. Edwin Dennis and Mr. |L. Belcher. The plan of reserved, seats, i which ie filling up rapidly, is at Kichardj son's. Queen Street " IRENE." " Irene," the latest musical comedy, which has just terminated a most successful seaeon m Sydney, will be presented at His | Majesty's Theatre on Wednesday, December j 22, under the J. and N. Tait management. 1 The plot of the comedy is said to be so , cleverly 'constructed, interesting and humorous as to ensure its success without the aid of any music, but the melodies running ! through it are delightfully tunetul and fas- j cinating. The success of " Irene " m Australia, is said to have been due> m no small measure to the fact that each artist has been specially selected lor his or her part, and the company is said to be one of the best which has been seen in this l part of the world for a considerable period. The management was fortunate in being able ' to secure the services of Miss Dorothy South I for the p-art of Irene, for it is said she has by her delightful impersonation won i for herself a name second to none in Australia. A number of clever dances are executed by Miss Vera de Mersden and William de Mersden. The plans will be opened at Lewis Lady's (Queen Street) next : Monday. PICTURE THEATRES. The oudden removal of a young girl from the placid shelter of a convent to trie ordinary everyday Ufe of the world should naturally be full of new experiences and adventures to her. When, as in the story upon which " New York Life," shown at 1 the Hippodrome on Saturday, is based, the i new scenes are set in the underworld of a l great city, the change is like moving to another world. Dori6 Elliott leaves the ' convent to live with her brother. She ! arrives to find him implicated in the drug i trade of Chinatown, and himself a victim to I the drug habit. Brought into contact with an atmosphere of vice and crime, she suffers . ' many terrifying experiences. Finally she finds herself indicted for murder, and as , I her only defence would be to fasten the I crime upon her erring brother, she remains | silent. At the climax of the play, when the | j brother is proclaiming in Court his sister's i | innocence, the real murderer, a cocaine j I slave, who for motives of revenge has com- ' mitted the crime, stepß into the breach and I confesses. The plot is full of action. The I principal role, interpreted by Catherine Cal- J vert, ably supported by Eugene O'Brien and j David Powell, is a sympathetic Btudy of the innocent young girl flung into sordid ! and crime-impregnated surroundings. The | : sordidness, while powerfully depicted, is not i over-accentuated, being properly subdued to I the stirring action of the plot. j "Kulttir." the chief feature being shown at the Queen's Theatre this week, is a thrilling spy story of 1914. So much has; been revealed by Germany's will for war. and her network of snving, diplomatic and j otherwise, that a. British audience is not likely to regard the story of " Kultur" as a ! serious exaggeration. According to the story the old Prussian system of spying wag relentless. Nowhere was there trust in the Prussian agents. Spy watched on spy. and quickly came the end of one who failed to carry out the mtiless and exacting commands of the German war-machine. The chief character in the story is a woman spy ! of the GeTman organisation who falls in love j I with a young French spy. and who, after' suffering great miseries through the_ un- ' welcome and threatening attentions of her 1 , superiors, resigns herself to her fate, and ' death is certain, but in death love is j | triumphant.