THE THEATRES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 885, 11 December 1916, Page 9

THE THEATRES.

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY'S CONCERT. The fourth Orchestral Concert of the present season was given in the; Theatre Royal on Saturday night be- j fore a large audience. A well-ar-j ranged programme was submitted,! and a considerable improvement on j earlier performances was distinctly evident. The balance was altogether j better, and although there are still a j few rough edges to be smoothed and | softened, the effect produced was I harmonious and altogether credit-! able. Two of the most charming; items were the bracketed numbers | in the second half for strings only! —Schumann's haunting and beauliful "Traumerei," and the delicately; tender "Romance" by Leo Pouget, in j which Miss Irene Morn's took the! s n lo part with conspicuous ability. J The most ambitious effort of the! evening was the Symphony in I). | Minor by Cesar Franck, the second' and third movements of which were! presented to a Christchurch audi-; ence for the first time. This beauti-! ful symphony, so rich in colour and j expression, was exccllentlv express-; cd, from the short opening movement to the triumphant passages of i the concluding allegro. The orehes- j tra was not quite so happy in the Beethoven Overture "Egmont." It; was played correctly, but there was something larking in the expression'; and atmosphere. The picture, in j short, was blurred. The remaining; orchestral numbers included Rach-i maninoff's "Prelude in C. Sharp Minor," arranged for orchestral purpuses by Sir Henry Wood, and the vigorous "Tannhauser" march by

Wav of conclusion. 'hmhardl's Concerto for oboe and orchestra was delightr u l, Mr G. H. Bonnington playing the solo with unimpeachable artistry, and the orchestra supporting him tastefully. Mr Bex Harrison was the vocalist for the occasion, and his songs were of excellent standard, and, without exception, wellssurf.n r f. His best was Homer's stirring "How's My Boy'?", with "Mother 0' Mine" coming a close second. Wagner's "Star of Eve" was another pleasing number.

FESTIVAL OF NEW ZEALAND MUSIC. The festival of New Zealand Music will be inaugurated in the Theatre Poyal this evening. Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool and party will be present. The works are by the New Zealand-born composer, Mr Arthur Lilly, who will conduct the performance. The orchestra will be under the leadership of Mr R. C. Zimmerman. A great feature of tonight's programme will be the production of the "Soldiers' Requiem" ("How Sleep the Brave"), in memory of the heroes of Anzac. Evolved as it is out of their great work, and sung as it will be by over two hundred voices, it should prove impressive and dignified. QUEEN'S THEATRE. Another of the increasingly popular Triangle plays holds sway at the Queen's Theatre this week. It is entitled "A Modern Joan of Arc," and features Dorothy Gish and Owen Moore, and is a story which abounds with humour, novelty, and realism, while it also provides a splendid study of the highest and lowest quarters of New York. It tells how a young society girl, imbued with "uplift" ideals, sets out to educate the dwellers of the slums. She encoun-

ters many thrilling and amusing experiences, and also a young tough named Larry O'Neill, who rescues her from the attentions of a bad saloon keeper. This is the beginning of a quaint romance which develops, through a variety of scenes and circumstances, until a happy conclusion is reached. The play affords ample scope for good acting. It contains some excellent settings, and altogether it is a delightful play, which should not be missed. The supporting programme includes a Vilagraph comedy and the "Pathe Gazette." EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. The advice to those who wish to get into Everybody's this week, where "Little Pal," a Famous Players drama starring Mary Pickford is being shown, is "go early." Splendid as have been some of Miss Pickford's previous pictures, she is generally acknowledged, in "Little Pal," to have achieved the triumph of her career. Her part, that of a little half-breed Indian girl, reveals yet another aspect of her versatility. Her beauty, her talent, and her wonderful personality, are all embodied in this play, which in itself is one containing a rare charm, a charm which is enhanced a hundredfold by one who plays the title role. The story opens in a gambling saloon in Alaska, owned by "Little Pal's" father. Black Brand, the camp bully, is in love with the girl, who will have nothing to do with him. Black Brand, in the gambling saloon, one day scoops the pool, and stakes all his winnings against the saloon to the possession of "Little Pal." He wins, but the girl, learning of her fate, runs away. She meets John Grandon, an easterner who has come out to work a claim bequeathed him by his dead brother. "Little Pal" falls in love with Grandon, who, unknown to her, is already married. Grandon contracts fever, and his wife comes out to him. The camp doctor orders him to leave the frozen north, but Grandon cannot, as he has no money. Little Pal, thinking only of the man who has been kind to her, and scarcely realising the seriousness of her action, robs the miners' sluice boxes in : order to provide him with money. [The conclusion, showing her watching Grandon and his wife depart, j leaving her once more friendless and alone, is touching in the extreme. I Other good pictures are also on the : programme.

! HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. i i The initial screening of "Sons of ■ the Sea," a powerful marine drama, | produced by the Lubin Company, j will take • place at His Majesty's i Theatre this evening. This is a thrili ling story of the gun-running days, j which also contains a powerful love j romance. It tells how an honourj able young man loves the wife of an- : other man. The woman reciprocates ' the love, but, like the young man, ; places her honour above everything else. How circumstances eventually produce a condition of affairs which enable the course of true love to run straight, is vividly depicted. One of I the thrills in the picture is a tight at sea between the occupants of two | motor boats. There are some beauli- , ful sea coast settings, and the photo- ! graphy throughout is very fine. | There is a lengthy and well varied ! supporting programme which comprises: "The Birth of a Big Bomb," | "How to Preserve Plants and Flow- ( crs," the "Palhc Gazette," "Zeppelin Wrecked in Essex," and a screaming

1 Vitagraph comedy entitled "Losing ] Weight."