WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2394, 18 January 1900, Page 57

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. Romptbb. Januaiy 12. Dear Posquin, — Mr John Baillie is a Wellingtcnian, whos? name was wont to appear in Ihese Whispers when ho played with our Amateur • Dramatic Cotnpan}', over 12 months ago. Since those days, Mr Baillie has gone to England, where he sper.t some time in London and Parisian studios as a painter. Then he took to another form of art — going on the stage. With one of Mr Becrbohm Tree's companies lie toured the provinces. Word has now been received that Mr Baillie has been allotted a part j in " A Midsummer Night's Dream," which Mr \ Tiee is putting on for the London season. P. f Eompter extends a^ large congratulatory hand to the successful Welliugtonian, and hopes his i parts may evei increase in importance, and ' never grow less. I Of all the big seasons which the Pollards ; have done in Wellington, none exceeded " The j Geisha" "season. Un Monday and Tuesday j " The Belle of N'York -' was put on for a • change, taking exceedingly well. - On WednesI day night the -season closed -with a compli1 nientary performance of " The Geisha.," in ! honour of the members of the contingent. And I a memorable night it will ever remain. From : the encampment at Newtown Park right away j for the two miles down to the Opeia House, the i roads were lined with people as the soldiers or i tho Queen marched to town. And then the I scene in the house — enthusiasm ran riot, and . patriotism? was at fever heat the whole eve'nj ing. After the opera was over, Tom Pollard i and the members of his company became tlie ! guests of the officers of the contingent, driving | out to the camp in drags. There Harmony Tent, which contains the piano sent up by the Dresden Company, had its awnings thrown open, and songs were given by Miss Opie and the leading Pollard girls and boys and Mr ; Paull, speeches were made by Messrs Paull and I Tom Wilford, M.H.R., and Major Craddock, 1 and, with the soldiers grouped round the tent and singing lustily in the choruses, a jolly good time was spent until about 2 a.m., the night • having been beautifully fine and mild. Reveille ► was called a little bit later after this sliivoo, which one and all had voted a fitting finish to a great night! Yesterday the Pollard Company went up to | Masterton for a couple of nights, and then' they go clown the Southern West Coast. I To-night we are to see the opening of the I American Company in " A Trip to Chinatown." ,' A good season is promised, though it will be a • short, if merry, one. On Tuesday night, his j Excellency the Governor, and the of j the contingent will be the guests of ithe managei nienfc, whsn'l expect we shall nave another . gieat event. The first piece will run" only five J nights, then comes two nights of " A Stranger | in New York," and two more of " A Texas Star "(a political p^iece). The member's of the conipanj are to return to America by the February 'Frisco mail boat from Auckland, so I guess they will have to glide through the colony pretty slick — or P. D. Q., as 'Bland Holt would say. After this company have left, the Broughs will come in. Fuller's Waxworks is still doing well at the Choral Hall. [ Also the Kineniatograph (Moody and St. i Clair's) at the Criterion Theatre. Geo. Callender— he of the almanac cognomen who goes ahead of Heller's Mahatma Company — slid right through Wellington yesterday, bound south. He says he will stop long enough ■Co amuse us with his company here in March. In its musical and dramatic review of the past year, the Evening Post said : " There is nothing so far to indicate a- revival of the sadly halting musical movement in our own coini ruunity." This expression of opinion Mr Mau- • ghan Barnett, our most eneigetic and conspicuous musician, hasj taken exception to. He writes: This seems to me highly suggestive of a stagnation in musical circles, which, if really existing, would be discreditable to resident musicians. I therefore give a. list of nmsical events during the year, which, I think, will prove that the passage quoted is without justification: The Orchestral Society gave six concerts (double its usual number), when the works performed for the first time included Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, two movements of Raff's " Leonore ' Symphony, Wagner's j " Flying Dutchman '~ Overture, Tschaikowski's "Nutcracker" Suite. Saint-Saens's " Da-nse Macabre," and a number of other novelties. There have been concerts by the Liedertafel and the Ladies' Musical Society, one public appearance of a newly-formed Madrigal Society, at least a dozen organ recitals, a number of miscellaneous concerns, and the Operatic Society's production of " Gondoliers." A series of five chamber concerts were given, at which a large number of important v/oiks were played, including piano quartets by Brahms and Raff, produced in this city foi the first time. Add to this list the concerts given by visiting artistes, including Miss Elsie Hall, Mdlle. Trebelli, Herr Friedenlhal, and Mr Ernest Toy, all of whom had a certain amount of assistance from local musicians, and the result is an average for the year of over one musical performance a week. We are to have Friend G-each with us pretty soon, as I hear of his arrival in Auckland with Dante the Second.