GISBORNE OPERATIC SOCIETY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13191, 27 September 1913, Page 5

GISBORNE OPERATIC SOCIETY.

SHOW WEEK PRODUCTION,

Splendid progress is being made m connection with the production of "Les Cloches de Ooriieville" at His Majesty's Theatre during Show Week, and members are displaying great keenness m their efforts to outdo the "Geisha" performances, which were such a brilliant success last year. The orchestral work was started on this week, and this department, under the able baton of/ Mr Mainland Foster, should be a special feature of the opera. In addition to last year's orchestra, and some new comers the orchestra of the Pathe Picture Proprietary are combining to assist the production. A strong ballet of twenty ladies has been picked by Mrs Frank May, and with tlieir quaint Normandy costumes and graceful dances, the whole of the play will present a brilliant spectacle of color and movement. One of the most effective scenes m. the play is the servants' hiring fail*, when' the ladies' chorus describe their' merits as housemaids, the basses theirs as men servants, and the tenors theirs as coachmen, th© three groups mingling together and. einging against each other with gusto, although the three* differeht melodies blend with beautiful harmony. The whole scene concludes with an auction sale of servants by the irrepressible Gobo. " ,-■•

The singing parts are all . m exceptionally good hands and include several numbers which reach the best standard of grand opera. - Miss Essie Jacobs, as Serpolette, the cheeky soubrette, and Miss Elsie Nicolas, as the demure Germaine, each have some good solos, which should display tlieir fine soprano voices to good advantage... Mr Frank Teat has also some striking solos and duets m the part of the dashing Marquis, while Mr Stuart Nelson's sweet tenor voice has many . opportunities of displaying itself m the part of Grenicheux. The comedy parts are m the capable hands of Mr -Percy Andrews as the ultra- 1 dignified Baillie of the .village, and Mi* C. G. Bayliss as Gobo, the Baillie's echo and shadow. Mr ' Zaohariah' is showing exceptionally good'-xYOrk m the difficult part of Gaspard the Miser, and m the haunted castle scene, where he is discovered among his hoarded gold and goes raving mad, the audience may reckon upon some very oreepy thrills.

So confident of success are the committee that tliey have decided to spare no expense m mounting and costuming the production. The scenery is being specially painted for th© production by Mr S. Pearson, and as there are three acts and five different scenes m **Les Cloches" great opportunities aro afforded for spectacular display. Miss Elsie Nicolas arrives m Auckland from Australia to-morrow, and Mr Tom Pollard arrives next week to take entire charge of the production, and by the time the finishing touches have been applied by his master-hand, the music-lovers and. playgoers of Gisborne can confidently anticipate a revelation m the way of amateur operatic productions.