AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 704, 28 August 1885, Page 15

AMUSEMENTS.

MR LINGARD’S DIORAMA.

Mr Lingard’s Diorama of Scotland and the Soudan War was exhibited for the first time in the Theatre Royal last evening week, when there was a large attendance, a great part of the house being crowded. The entertainment deserves very high praise, as probably a finer display of panoramic pictures wa3 never exhibited in auy part of the world. The artistic merit of the whole of them is very great, and most would deserve the study of lovers of pictorial art for a very much longer time than can possibly be given under the circumstances of exhibition. There is in each picture excellent drawing, composition, color, and effect, with the aid of all tbe skilful artifices of wellmanaged lights to make everything appear in the most favorable manner. The art of painting panoramas, though it has much in common with ordinary scene-painting, is in several respects different. The ordinary medium used in the latter is not suitable, as the canvasses require to be incessantly rolled and unrolled, and the work must stand tolerably rough usage. In the present case all difficulties have been admirably overcome, with the result that there is a collection of valuable works of art whose merit would be acknowledged anywhere. The spectators were evidently thoroughly well pleased with the exhibition, and Mr Lingard may be warmly congratulated on his taste and success in the choice of artists. Mr David McAudrew acted very efficiently as lecturer. This gentleman is a great humorist, and besides giving capital descriptions of the scenery he sang a number of Scotch songs, to the delight of the audience. Among the series of views are four of .Edinburgh, and four of Glasgow, Roslyn Chapel and ’Prentice Pillar, Linlithgow Palace and Loch, Abbotsford, Melrose Abbey by moonlight, Dumfries, Greenock, Pass of Glencoe, the enchanting Loch Awe, Balmoral, Cape Wrath, Inverness, Dundee, Taymouth Castle, Perth, Stirling and Castle, Loch Katrine, Loch Lomond, Ailsa Craig, Frith of Clyde, Falls of Clyde, Broomielaw. There are also a series of views of the Soudan War. At intervals during the Exhibition Madame Hayward, Madame Lingard, Mr J. C. Ferguson, and Mr F. Hayward, all accomplished vocalists, sang a number of songs. Mr Ferguson was inimitable in his comic Scottish songs in character, and he had to respond to no less than three encores during the evening.