FAREWELL CONCERT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 47

FAREWELL CONCERT.

For some years past Miss Kitty Blaney has been one of Dunedin'a most popular singers.^ She has made numerous appearances before the public, and it is not too much to say thai oa every occasion her well-trained, pleasing voice has been listened to with much pleasure and satisfaction. Her career as a vocalist has, indeed, been a successful one— one that in years to come she may look back upon with justifiable prido, for in her recollection of the days she has spent here she will not forget the many flatteririg receptions she has met with from the public of Dunedin. It may be said at once that her success has been merited. She has earned it by honest effort, and having done her utmost to excel she has ' now the gratifying fact before her that her endeavours to reach a position of eminence have resulted in a measure of success that does not always attend the efforts of aspirants in the musical world. She has not only come to the front as a vocaiist, for on the stage, both in opera and in drama, she has been seen to advantage, the comedy vein supplying her with characters which have proved congenial to her. In addiction, we have the knowledge that not once, but on many occasions, Miss Blaney's name has had a place on the programmes of entertainments which have had for their object the raising oi funds for some worthy cause. With a career of so much usefulness, then, it was perhaps only to be expected that prior to her departure from Dunedin at an early date her friends would tender her a complimentary send-off, relying on the people' of Dunedin to | support them. The concert arranged for the | occasion came off in the Garrison Hall on tut I 31st, its promoters being the Dunedin Orchestral Society, the Dunedin Liedertafel, the Iloscius "Dramatic Club, and a number of the leading artists of the^oity, and as the public ! turned out well, the spacious hall being packed from floor to ceiling, the results should be in every way satisfactory. It was a- very i. appropriate compliment to the guest of the I evening. On presenting herself half way I through the first part of the entertainment, ! Miss Blaney was received with a rapturous I round of applause. Her song was. "My soul to Heaven, my heart to thee," which she rendered very sweetly, gaining an enthusiastic recall, to which she replied with " I waa dreaming, ' a pretty solo from "Ma mie Rosetjie." The song against which her name was set latex in the evening was " Through sunny Spain," an item that must not be confused with a song with a similar name that 'was sung by th« operatic company last week. Her vocalisation was much enjoyed,' and called forth an outburst of applause that was as spontaneous as it was hearty. Miss Bla-ney returned and favoured the audience wilh a delightfully cheery rendering of " You're only "teasing, '"' which so pleased the assemblage that nothing short of the singer's reappearance would satisfy them, and, in response to their very urgent demands, Miss Blaney sang another verso of the same item. Three handsome floral bouquets were presented to the Binger. Miss Kitty Blaney also appeared with her sister, I Miss Rose Blaney, in -the duet "O, sainted mother," (from " Maritana "), in which the I voice* blended beautifully and clearly. A. unanimous request for an encore number was acceeded to, the vocalists giving Tosti'i ! " Venetian song " very acceptably. Mrs It. j Hudson, jun., selected " 'Tis all in vain " as . her solo, and also took part with Mr J. T. Carter in the pretty dnet " A night in Venice," her capital singing of the former earning foj her the warmest plaudits of the house. As a recall number sne sang " Making hay " verj nicely. Miss Essie Jacobs was accorded an encore for her meritorious singing of "Manurlii.a," which she certainly sang very tunefully Mr W. Farquhar Young contributed a capital recitation, " The last race of Rio Grande," foi which he was uproariously recalled, and, in his usual robust manner, delighted the audience with his spirited singing of " The Charmed Cup." Mr J. Jago and Mr J. Blenkinsopp were the other vocalists, the former securing a .well-merited encore for his rendering of " Love's proving." A vocal quartet, " You swear to be good and trne" (from " Dorothy "J was taken part in by Mrs R. Hudson, jun., Miss Rose Blaney, Mr Young, and Mr Blenkinsopp. and the performers thoroughly deserved the applause the item evoked. Two part songs were given by the Dunedin Liedertafel, conducted by Mr J. Timson, their efforts meeting with the approval pf everyone in the audience. " The tattoo " is worthy of special mention as an excellent item. The instrumental portion of the programme was very acceptable. Mrs G. Blandford justified the high no«ition she holds in musical circles by her exquisite playing of a piano solo, " Poco a Poco." by Hambonrg. and in acceding to the unanimous wish of the audience for another niece she gavo " The bee's wedding," one of Mendelssohn's " Songs without words," in which her execution, as in the former case, was faultleps. Mr G H. Schacht r/layed two violin qolos, " Siciliano " and " Tambourin," the latter being, -nerhaps, the more appreciated, one of its features being the accompaniment by Mrs Blandford. The Venetian Quintet gave two contributions, their " Plantation melodies " gaining a recall for them. The accompanists of the evening were Mrs Blandford, Miss Kate Moloney, Mr Barth, and /Mr Timson. Mr J. T. Carter acted as the secretary energetically and courteously, and to his efforts is due in a large measure the success of the concert. The Garrison Band and the Naval Band paraded in front of the hall prior to the commencement of the concert, and played a number of-selec-tions.

On the Manchester ship canal, William Webster got in the way of a waggon-load of coal, which was being- shot into the bunkers of a steamer He was carried into the bunkers, and it took three hours to recover his dead body. Both deaf and dumb they said he was, Because he could not hear or speak, He'd simply lost his voice that's all, His head bunged up for just a week; But now be hears the least thing drop, He speaks in accents strong and pure, To say that he'd been dead ere this. Except for Wcnr.Vis Gres.t Peppermint Curtti

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