THEATRE ROYAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12868, 2 January 1906, Page 7

THEATRE ROYAL.

' EA. DUNEDIN COMBINATION. . (Rfoaru people would indeed feel lost. B there was no theatrical entertainment to wind up each of tne two days of the New Year sports. For years and years the sports have been, as it were, inevitably followed by the " Caledonian concerts." which in- the past were for a long time. ■ about- the most vpopular entertainments -of the- year. ; Lately the Society, finding the . attendance falling off, and the concerts no longer a. financial success, decided to give them up- They generally had the assistance at these. concerts of well-known amateurs from -outside the district, and especially from Dunedin, many of whom •were as -well known in Timarn as the local singers. This year, while cat first it seemed that- the usual entertainment would be .lacking, the Dunedin amateurs came to the rescue with an excellent- entertainment. -Miss Amy Murphy and Mr Wm. Densem, both very well known here, were the principal members of the company, and they were well supported. The concert of last liigbt was by an audience that packed the Theatre to the doors. ! first part of :fhe programme consisted. <€s a miscellaneous concert. Mr Wm. Denfirst, and sang .m<?st amnsipg- the wdl-known account of iEe Laird • tppkpea'e wooing. Thia pleased his ' ■teersxreiy ,nmch, aid they xecalled him. , Big then related a funny experience with a railway porter, which wis hugely enjoyed. Miss Eva Field sang "'Caller Herring', and Jjeing recalled,. added-" Oh,dry those Tears." While the first song - was very popular, the second suited' her .voice best. It is. a good full voice j •which;. she used in a . natural. and entirelV effortless manner. The upper register 01 . the voice nnforfunately ;does not .match the rest of-''it,, and this mars her -singing cc-n-' 1 isiderably at times. Mr Reg. White was down for tlie next item, but he was replaced by Mr F. R. Foster, Timaru . schoolboy, and thel audience were evidently much pleased to meet him again. He .jias achieved some fame as a tenor singer, .and last night justified the achievement. His^ first song, "The Macgregors' Gathering, was successful enough, though it requires a more robust voice. As an en.cpre, he sang, by special request, Gome into the Garden, Maud," and this - was a remarkably fine performance. Miss TOinnhp. Densem and Mr Densem sang with'humorous energy a duet, one of+he many'"Sngrag lessons," and this was encored, a verse being Tepeated. >liss Densem later . Bang" The. Minstrel Boy;"V Save for a peculiar mistake in the words, the went well, 'and her "encore, "I couldn't/ •cqiaTd I ?" purely humorous and necessitating, a.little acting, suited her still better. Miss Amy Murphyv; sang " Maytime." " This pretty song she did full justice to. and .'her singing, is almost beyond criticism. "Maytime" is a brilliant and elegant song, -and Miss Muiphy showed herself a thorough mistress of a delightful -voice. As an encore sh<j sang "On the Banks of Allan 'Water," and the simple melody of this 'ballad was given as much attention , as. the ■lHor« complicated phrases of the preceding song.; Mr J. A. Henderson sang: "A: " Highlandmans Toast" in. fairly good style. He. read his song almost- throughout, and' this-may, account for the unemotional per-r fonnanee he gave. The first part of the. jprogramrce was concluded by the dancing of .the '" Sean Truibhais" by Miss Rita'' ' Glover, to the piping of Mr Hopping—a Tery pretty and populaT performance,- the arduous nature of which, to the disappointment. of the audience, did not permit tof an immediate repetition: ; second portion was the performance •f jßalfe's comic- opear " Dolores," in which Kiss Murphy and •Mr Densem took the , principal parts. _ The. opera is a medley oflittle musical scraps, few of which would stand bv themselves, hitched cn to a simple story of love" and loyalty. The perform - ance. whi>li under the direction of Mrs w; Mi"-t)hy. was highly successful. !&s Dolores, 'Queen of (Leon, Miss Murphy carried through a very pretty part, singin'g beautifully and acting generally as behoved Her Majesty. The. .spirit of comic opera roakes its queens other.than those of reality, bat. Miss-, as good senta.tioh of a young and high-spirited TOyaL_persori as ..the audience wanted, and her singing and acting lacked nothing. - She was v.fry well supported by Miss Amy Field as Dbna ; Acmes, who sang ■ "well and acted better. ■ . Mr. Densem -laid -Mmself out to be an absolute clown as. the Regent. and succeeded .admirably, his <Sownishness having just the legitimate exaggeration of the comic opera stacre, and he . -delighted the andience by his foolery. One ~ the- best . jokes_ : was his instant ; and ' •bliging response -the request of 'the __reajrwar<l_pudience to " Speak up, old man." Injnsaried contrast to*th p - freedom of his . - performaboe fw +hat of'Mr Keir. White .-s Philipped'Aq-pilar. who. seemed to be.sufHering ffbni -nervousness: -.The performance included* a, pretty: Spanish dance by «. quartette of vonnsx-people. gaily dressed 'in the rational costume. The performance of "Dolores" as.a whole' : was very much • enjoyed,' and was well worth : the faouble that had been gone to ;ih: preparing it for production here, ' .' To-night the company will giv£" a new programme, as'; in on advertisement, : while " Dolores "" will be re- v peated. .