AMUSEMENTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 6, 16 December 1911, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

WESLEY CHOIR CONCERT

A good concert was held in the Wesley Oivurch last evening, when the Wesley Choir, the Stratford Orchestra, and the several local amateurs combined in an excellent programme. .Tne audience was not as large as it might have been, but was certainly a very fair one. Three anthems wore rendered bv the choir,c the finest one being Limper’s “Hark! Hark! My Soul!” In this the solos were taken by Miss Ivy Hooker (contralto), and Mrs (I. Bond (soprano). The orchestra was in particularly good form, and of a number of exceedingly well rendered selections, “Dawn” was of exceptional merit. Miss M. Hopkins played a violin solo, the “Are Maria from “Camalleria Rusticana,” very sweetly indeed. Items by Messrs It. W. Lewis and W. U. Wilson, who were both in fair voice, were also good performances. During the evening the Pastor, the Key. C. C. Harrison, thanked the choir for their services, also the gentlemen who had so kindly cantributed songs.

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

A very appreciative audience attended Bernard's Pictures last evening, when the great Irish drama Itoiy O’Moore” was screened for the first time and was accorded hearty applause. The various scenes and situations were taken in Ireland, and the firm shows to advantage the beautiful scenery of Erin’s Isle. Ihe pietuie opens with Rory and his Sweetheart at Killarney Silver Falls, where Black Dick, the informer, follows tinem, and knowing there is a price upon Roiy s head informs the soldiers, who pursue Rory to the Gap of Dtinloe, who evades the troops by swimming the lake, but is followed by one of the soldiers, who is saved from drowning by Rory, who, after saving ’me soldier, is arrested and sentenced to death ; but the good-hearted Fa trier O’ Brien sacerifices himself and allows Rory to ecapse to his mother and sister, who are waiting to row him to a snip in the offing, when he sails to America. This picture should bo seen by everyone, as it is above the ordinary kinematograph picture. The rest of the dramatic, scenic, and comic films were all well received. The same programme will be repeated again this evening. On Monday evening a big change takes place in the pictures. Madam Bernard has just arrived from a business trop to Wellington, where she (has arranged for the latest films to be continuously shown. “Captain Kate” will he one of the leading dramas for Monday. It deals with a, wild animal hunter’s daughter, who is lost in the jungle and surrounded by wild beasts of every description, but manages to fight her way out of the difficulty. This picture is said to be the greatest animal film evershown. The scenic and comic portions of the programme are well represented. “Rory O’Moore” will be screened for The lasf> time on Monday.

ELECTRIG PICTURES

At the Town Hall on Monday evenn' mg the Electric Pictures will show, ! tho cljief item on the programme being a representation of V ictor ~ Hugo’s 1 great novel ‘(Notre Dame ,de ; Paris.” ' The picture follows the story through-; ! odf. " Frollo, the priest, sees Esxneiv alda, the gipsy girl, accompanied by ! her’ favouiito ( comp?vuiop, a'gact, upon, whose hptios she, largely relied ior the ' ' ' pence of her audiences, and a sudden instinct of vengeance inspired the priest, who plotted with ins henchman, Quasimodo, to have her carried off.. The, girl, is rescued by RhoohiiSj Captain of the Royal Archers, hut succeeds in disappearing. Poor, unfortunate Quasimodo is hurried away to the pillory, where he is subjected , tp, the,pioijit,atrocious of tortures. Taking piiy upon the unfortunate dwarf, : Ewheralda relieves his sufferings with a drink of water from her girdle. Then a .big tear was seen to fail and roll ,'slowly down ( Quasimodo’s distorted visage, and it was the first, in all k probability, that the unfortunate \ wretch had ever shed. In the next scene Captain Phoebus is found making love to Esmeralda, the girl whose life ho had saved. Claude Frollo, who meanwhile had himself become enamoured of the gipsy’s charms and had fought against his lapse with all the force of which he was capable, was a witness of the love scene, and, unable to control himself, he plunges a dagger into the Captain’s heart and disappears. Esmeralda is arrested for murder, and, yielding to torture, confesses to a crime of which she was innocent. The unfortunate gipsy girl is condemned to do penance baro-foot-ed upon the steps of Notre Dame prior to being handed over to the hangman.' A dramatic rescue is effected by Quasimodo, to whom Esmeralda was as a breath of air from Heaven, and he conceals her in a secret hiding place secure in the cathedral, whoso inmost recesses were familiar to him. Now comes the most tragic occurrence of this most tragic story. In a fit of religious frenzy, united to unconquerable passion, Frollo discovers the secret of Esmeralda’s hiding place, and delivers her over for execution. At’ that moment tho laugh of a demon—a laugh which one can only give vent to when one is no longer human —bursts forth on the priest’s face. Quasimodo retreated several steps behind him, and suddenly hurling himself upon him with fury, pushed him with his large hands over the battlements, upon which Frollo had been leaning. The priest fell, and all •was silent. HUDDERSFIELD BELLRIN G ERS BAND. The above band, which has opened its Australasian tour with great success shows at Stratford on Wednesday next, December 20th. From reports to hand the performance is an exceptional treat to music-lovers, and creates great enthusiasm. Never in tho history of Australasia has such n complete band of bellringers visited its shores, and it is impossible to convey an idea of the excellent pitch these Huddersfield workingmen have brought their performance to until one hear them. Speaking of their performance, a loading English daily says:—“The band was beautifully balanced, and all the features of the music were brought out with neatness and precision, ft was wonderful how Mr Townend, the conductor, was able to secure such delightful tone-colour and rhythm and well marked response to his expressive beating. Not only does the band display remarkable mechanical and technical accuracy, but really surprising skill and taste in so phrasing, shading, and accenting the various numbers as to suggest vividly to those who were acquainted with them the humour of tho_ situation, the value of the parts in just proportion, and their charm of expression where genuine sentiment prevails. The whole performance was highly finished and effected.etc.” Assisting the band are several English artists, including Ella Airlie, the charming young London pianoloqnist, mimic and xylophone expert, and Mr George Campbell, tho quaint humorist and instrumentalist, It might be men-

Honed that Miss Airlie is recognised as one of the cleverest infantile mimic that has ever been heard in London, and in addition to being a clever artist is a composer of no little note. Popular prices are to be charged, and the box plan is at Grubb’s.