BATTERY ENTERTAINMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1090, 9 August 1880, Page 2

BATTERY ENTERTAIN MENT.

This was, 1 beyond all doubt, and without any exaggeration, the best amateur entertainment'which has ever been given in Gisborne.. Those present enjoyed a great treat. Those unavoidably absent missed one. It was a Saturday night, and traders could not leave their business. It was a wet, piercing, bitter night, and many friends who would have been present did not attend. Nevertheless, the Ball was well filled ; but we call upon the getters-up of the entertainment to repeat the full programme, and fix some night other than a Saturday.' The carte for the occasion consisted of both instrumental and vooal music j an irresistible farce j concluding with " Blondin on the Tight-rope "^a Fantoccini exhibition never before, that we know of, attempted in the Colony — certainly not in Giaborne. The members of the brass and windjHns.tr uments, Band of the J Battery have' r&aolied a degree of efficiency which makes their playing jceally a. great treat to" (he^aV. Tfiey : , were. well -received on Saturday night, and most heartily applauded; as it was only right they should be, for .they contributed largely to the enter;'tainment. Need we say one word inpfaise" of Mr. Humphrey's yiolencillo, playing? The exquisite manner in which this gentleman executes the finest passages of our best composers ; feelinsr, expression, mellowness of tone, and all brought out as only master of this mostdifficult instrument able. Mr. Ratcliffe and Mr. Scctt were, as they always are, very humourous, very funny, and very every thing that could be wished for in genteel comic singing. We come to the faree — "The Bencia Boy." We had never seen, it played before, although, we should much like to see it played again, as we trust will happen. Mr. J. Bourke in his part and Mr. F. J. Piesse in his caused continual roars of laughter and enthusiastic applause. Should these two gentlemen; fail in a their present careers in life, we are quite sure they would excel in stage-craft. They are bqth .clever, delineators ;o& 'grotesque 1 in tfarce Aand- r buriesq>uei ■ Mr. Pavitt and Mr. , Gresswell did excellently well in their subordinate parts, and the " same j may be said of Miss Brunskill and Miss Browne., ' As for the Phantasmatic Pantomime we cannot describe it beyond saying that it was awfully amusing, and an attempt to resist laughter, or restrain the visible muscles, is simply among the impossibilities. Mr. Scott and Mr. Piesse amused beyond all mention. The former as Blondin, doing the tight-rope business, was one of the . best bits of extravaganza business we have ever witnessed. We repeat a hope, expressed by- very many,; that the entertainment will be played again on ; an early occasion,, A fine night with better roads, and a little of the moon, would, dtfaw a crowd. Such shows as we hayejhad of lateV " Stray Leaves," "Happy. Hours," ■'Variety Troupe," and. the. like. uwill boar no'cbmparasion to the of ourclever amateurs and musicians. We omitted in its place,, ,toraiotic& a' song from Mr. Bush, of which was demanded an encore and consideratelyresponded to. Mr. Bush possesses. . ; a well-cultivated voice. Mr. Hall, in a clarionette solo, cleverly executed, also received -an 'encore.

Fiend— ''Ha ! ha-a-a : He has insutled me ! scorned me! spat on me. He has robbed me of my property, alienated my friends, and desolated my Preside. U3iit I am revenged. Ha! ha-a-a ! I have sent his family a box of Fifteen Puzzle. Ha-a-a I"