The Black Family.

Patea Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 272, 19 October 1903, Page 3

The Black Family.

Much interest has been aroused by the - announcement that the clever Black Fainily of musical entertainers are booked to open here in the Harmonic Hall on Wednesday next. The family had the honour of performing before their Eoyal Highnesses the Prince end Princess of Wales during their tour of this colony. The family 'have just concluded a most successful Qk season in Wellington, where the enterflT tainihent was under the- patronage of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, and have met with enthusiastic audiences all along the line. Musical families are not rare, but a family whose individual and collective skill equals that displayed by the Black Family is very seldom met with. The family consists of six members, who are every- ' thing possible in the musical line. Miss Nellie Black as a contralto has earned a New Zealand reputation, and she is well supported. She is said to possess anTexceptionally fine, true and highly cultured voice, a charming pianiste, a revelation as violiniste, and delightfully bewitching in the comic sketches in which her father is a valuable adjunct. Her trick violin playing is said to be remarkably clever, and her imitations of two violins playing a duet, a canary whistling, church organ, bagpipes, and a man going home late at night always delights the audience. Mr J. Black, V to whom the family owe their training, is the most genial of entertainers, a clever instrumentalist as well, and has the faculty of becoming at once at home with his audience. Besides playing the cornet and ’cello, Mr Bertie Black dances a sailor’s hornpipe and introduces into the, programme several highlv amusing musical novelties. He uses a tubephone fairy bells, a pair of bellows, and a Chinese trumpet, and from all these he succeeds in extracting music. Miss Elsie further illustrates the versatility of this clever family by her performances as a danseuse. The performances are genuine expositions of mirth, melody, and entertaining, and can bo recommended without reservation. These entertainments -:tT should be greatly appreciated, acting 9 ‘' as they do as a means of cultivating the musical taste and keeping the public up to date in the latest productions as given in the larger centres. Southern’ exchanges speak in eulogistic terms of this talented family, and altogether an exceptional treat ,is in store for Patea people.