DRAMATIC RECITAL.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13412, 9 May 1912, Page 4 (Supplement)

DRAMATIC RECITAL.

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"A CHRISTMAS CAROL."

(From "The Colonist,'* April 16.) The- proposal to erect a nurses' homo in connection with the Nelson Hospital certainly 'has the support of the public of this'town. On a.recent occasion when tho Wellington Orphans Club gave, a concert in aid of this object, a crowded house greeted them, and such was tho case again last evening, whim Mr. Marcus St. John gavo :* recita. of tho great moral work of Charles Dickons, "A Christmas Carol." Tho very largo .attendance listened to the two sections of tho story dealt with by tho elocutionist with marked appreciation, ■and.no doubt tho unflagging attention of his hearers stirred the performer to his best efforts. Mr. St. John has done a great deal of this form of entertainment throughout the Dominion, and was quite at home in rendering so difficult a piece. It called for the impersonation of no less than nine characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge, his nephew, Bob Cratchitt (his clerk), an old gentleman, Marley's Ghost, and the Spirit of Christmas. Past. The story woven round these characters is considered by many devotees of Dickens to be probably tho richest in quality of any of his writings. Its deep humour, cropping out in the strongest dialogue, gives it a-spirit of gentle satire of which only a dee>p study of the author's train of thought will permit an intelligent vocal interpretation. The -wonderful transformation of tho icy Scrooge to the penitent supplicant to be "shown no more" of his earlier life» # must bo handled with the utmost delicacy lest tho listeners' realisation of tho plot drag behind the actual recital, and make the transformation of the; leading character appear unnatural, and thus defeat the greatest feature of "A Christmas Carol." The first part of tho programme was constituted of the opening section of this Christmas moral— "Marley's Ghost." Mr. St. John pictured the scene in Scrooge's office with ids. unnatural treatment of Bob Cratchitt, of his nephew imbued with the feeling of Christmas cheer, and of tha co.lectors to provide seasonable joys for tho poorer folk. All these encountered tho rough edge of Scrooge's harsh and bitter nature. Then came the return home, and tho apparition of Marley's face in the door-knocker, followed by the appcorance of his deceased partner's ghost, and the crumbling of the belief of Scrooge in his theory of "humbug." All this was graphically given by Mr. St. John, and his enunciation was so decided that not a word was lost. After tho interval, Miss Vera Bamford sang "II Bacio," the famous mensure- of Arditi's, and scoring a decided success responded to an encore with "The Nights," (Murray) which was greeted with as much applause as the first number. Miss Stevens played tho accompaniments tastefully. The second half of the programme was "Hie Ghost of Christmas Past"—Scrooge's review of his younger days. An orchestral accompaniment to tho portion in which ho separates from Irs former sweetheart blended well with the thread of tho story. At the conclusion of the recital, which was reached amidst prolonged applause, Mr. St. John, announced that about £40 had been taken ai-t-he doors,_ and this, with- the Govern-' ment subsidy, would make a handsome addition to the funds already in hand. Tho final item on the programme was "Comedietta" (Gurlitt) by a violin, viola, and cello orchestra under the baton of Herr Lcramer. Tho composition was a fitting conclusion to the performance.