Classical Concert.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12975, 30 September 1905, Page 7

Classical Concert.

MR WATKIN MILLS AND COMPANY I Mr Watkin Mills and the four- artists associated with hina gave a concert in the' Theatre Royal on Thursday evenings which was undoubtedly the best heard in this town for some .years past. And the truly jliscriminating audience — comfortably filling all parts of the hall — were unstinted in their recognition , • of the entertainment. From the opening to the closing number, all, by the way, being judiciously selected, the axidience virtually rose en masse .demanding encore contributions. -Most persistent too was the audience that in every item there -was a reappearance, the soloists also having their acknowledgments of the warnily enthusiastic reception given each and all of them, ft? was a musicalifeast in every sense oi the ward. /The first half of ,the programme comprised selected > solos, some entirely new, and others now to a proportion off a New Plymouth audience, but all o| a very high class and aft'ording scope to the singers to adequately Show their " ' vocal capabilities. Of tliis they took full advantage, and as a} result gave renderings of the different pieces which for effect and general vocalisation would be hard to edlipse. .Naturally, most interest was centred in the old favourite, Mr Watk\n Mills, who in his contributions showed he had lost none of his charm and still retains an admirable singing, voice. Even after the heavy Av^ork of the evening he was as fresh in tone as at the first item. .He regains a master .of the art. In the first part of the' programme Mr Mills s£ng Gounod's "She Alpne Charmeth lS,y Sadness," with a. feeling, and explosion characteristic of the artist. j Eor an encore number he selected | 'Teg Away" (Bevan), and a second encore, "Shall I Wait in Despair " (Lane \pspn^ ;; A ; weird y but £a'scinarting item' was a 'new- song, entitled 'pTangi," a Maori lament, composed by Alfred Hill expressly for Mr Mills. Ip captured the peculiarity tne composition, its" bursts of deep feeling and declamatory passages, i/i a nianner of the artist born. ;Ta's ponttibution was perhaps' the;.>bwa. The .inevitable encore , was "The Wedding ojf Shan M;aelean" . (Hatton). Mr Mills also sang .. a' duet . with Mr Harold- "Wilde,- >a; - new compjosition-- -also,- --^-Watchman ! > What c 4 the Night?' 3 by J. Sergeant. Tie item can be numbered amongst the very best of the evening! Miss Gjertrude Lonsdale, ,who has a rich contralto, cultured, and of wide range, apd well under 1 , control, sang "Entreat me^not to leave Thee" (Guonod) "ptfy Own Folk" (Laura G. Lemon), a^d encore 'items "Happy Song" . (DelRiego), "Vanity Fair" (Clut'sam)/ Miss Lonsdale has a pleasing manuer «&id she showed herself quite at. home in the various j selections. Her sing-, ing can* truly be termed admirable. Hiss. Edith 4 Kirkwood, as soprano, was a- complete success in her num: bjers,, she -having a well-trained', soft aiid tuneful vbice-/ and showing much feeling in her efforts. An Italian song "Caro Nome" (Verdi) was a dainty thing, and merited an "encore, "I khow a" lovely Garden" bein<? given. She also gave (a) '<A little fleet of Qloud Boats;" (b)."The ninepenny Fidel/-' and as an encore" "You and I," Mr Harold Wilde is the possessor of d good tenor voice, and us^s the gift to advantage. His selections were splendidly rendered and encores wore made . imperative. He] gave Grail Sjong or Lohengrin's "Narration/ and MThe little Irish Girl," "The Willow" ('Goring Thomas), and "You'd better a!sk me," (Lohr).. Mons. Edward Par-, lpvitz, who played all the accompaaiments in a truly r masterful way, gave tjwo' solos also, including "Irish Rhapsodic" (Archy Rosenthal); aud Chopin's "Scherzo in B flat minor/ a(n encore ' following in the first ca.se. Iji technique, touch and expression the pjianist showed .himself! a thorough musician... The second part of the programme was made up of the sor.g cycle "The Daisy Chain," the four soloists and the pianist all taking part. The concerted and individual efforts were really, magnificant, in the former tho voices blending superbly, the songs being dainty compositions with a fascinating effect. Most of the individual items were re-demanded, lit Was announced during the evening, by Mr. Spencer Jones, the Ilajajger, that Mr Watkin Mills and hi** Company would give another concert, including the lovely song cycle "Flork's Holiday" on Wednesday evening. 25th October. This announcement was received with enthusiasm 1 . ( The pianos used were supplied by Mr D. McKinnon Bain, and were of Jhe famous Haake make, while the stago furniture was supplied by Messrs Baker and 00.

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