KENTUCKY JUBILEE SINGERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20793, 12 August 1929, Page 7

KENTUCKY JUBILEE SINGERS

AN ENTERTAINING OCTET. There were more present at the initial performance of the Kentucky Jubilee Singers in His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night than might have been expected owing to the weather experienced, and those who did attend the opening concert were amply rewarded for their hardihood in coming out on. such a wet, bleak evening. A good deal of music is compressed into a programme that takes pretty well two hours to complete, though it certainly does not seem so long from the rise of the curtain until its final descent, as the time passes very quickly and very pleasantly. The music sung, so far as the programme went, included only a few of the old plantation melodies aa many will remember them. There were one or two, such aa “ Old Black Joe ” and "My Old Kentucky Home,” but by far the bulk of tbe music sung belonged to a later period, and wa« either humorous or belonged to the negro spiritual kind. There was rather an absence of such airs as " Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming,” “Kiss Me Quick,” "Hard Times,” and " Hoop-de-dooden-do.” The " singers ” form a double quartet and sing everything they select remarkably well. There are •no failures, though there may be greater success attained in one case than in another. Apparently there is in the ranks more than one good soloist, though a first place has to be given to' a . remarkably full-toned bass, who is not only a very fine interpreter of solos, but a tower of strength in concerted items. There are really two voices of the basso class in the double quartet that stand out. The tenors do all that is required of them and sing their music well, and there is included amongst them the comedian of the party, whose solo work, and the antics that accompany it, are irresistible. In some of the negro spirituals he works himself up to such a pitch of enthusiasm that it takes almost a frenzied turn, and he hops and leaps and bounds about the stage, “ all legs and arms" —to use a common phrase—in a way which cannot fail to provoke laughter. Like the basso just mentioned, he is indispensable to the company. Included in the party is a dancer, George Alfonzo. He occupies the stage on one or two occasions, and is evidently an expert in dancing of the eccentric or grotesque variety. In the first part, "On a Plantation," six items were included, from which “ Old Black Joe” may be selected aa one of the finest offerings. The bass who sang it ■ gave a wonderful exhibition of depth of voice, and must have quite firmly attacked an F or an E below tbe stave. The other items in part one were “ Bain Song,” " Exhortation ” (remarkably well

given, and very funny), "Go Down, Moses,” " Scandalise My Name,” “ Shine On,” “ Deep River,” “ Cradle in Caroline” (specially favoured by the audience) , “ Ezekiel,” “ I’ll be Ready,” a medley, and a dance, the dance being recalled. Part two was decidedly the best of the three divisions in the programme, and the stage had been made to represent a rather dilapidated building or dug out on the battlefield of France in 1917. Here was assembled the eight erstwhile vocalists, now clad in khaki, with the usual flat, immilitary-looldng, but very serviceable headgear. There was some rather clever dialogue carried on amongst the men—clever in that it was the sort of talk that might have been looked for under the conditions in which their misfortunes had cast them, and from the class of men they purported to be. There were six sopgs in this section —" Go in’ to Study War No More,” “ Stand Steady,” "Georgia,” “Mary,” “If You Want to Know Where the Privates Are,” and I “Coin’ Home.” Of these, “Stand Steady ” would appeal to many in the audience as being amongst the most interesting of the series. “ Mary ” was, however, very attractive, and “If You Want to Know Where the Privates Are” —to use the expression of one ot the audience-—was "a scream.” It was certainly very amusing, and told where the generals were (in gay Paree), where the sergeants were (cutting barbed wire), and where the privates were (up to the waist in mud), and was given with great effect. The sketch had a pathetic ending, “Shorty” being brought back in a dying condition as the result of an sortie. The final scene was more impressive than stage scenes of a similar character usually are. The final part was confined to vocal numbers of a varied kind, and, amongst other minstrel items, contained “My Old Kentucky Home,” which was exceptionally well sung. As a solo “Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep ” was very well rendered by a member of.the company, though some might not quite agree with what was not the usual method of interpretation of the old ballad. The other items were " Steal Away,” “ It’s Me, Oh, Lord,” “ Many Thousand Gone,” ’ ani “Who’ll he a Witness.” The audience wag, however, by no means satisfied with programme selections alone, and five or