THE LORCNETTE

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 910, 6 June 1896, Page 16

THE LORCNETTE

By Pendenjjis

The public are beginning. to show symptoms of fatigue over the popular concert furore, but, on the whole, manifest good staying power. At Mr Chas. Cooper's National and Patriotic ' Pop ' on Wednesday last week there was a comfortably filled, but by no means crowded house. But the -bill of fare was very filling, and not all bad of its kind. The* pictures illustrative of ' The Transvaal Crisis ' were really excellent, and Mr Albert Lucas's reminiscences were interesting, although his praise of the Boers did not quite suit the palate of his audience. Mr Wm. Mackenzie and Miss Marion Sampson contributed the tit-bits of the conceit programme. As a singer of Scottish humorous songs Mr Mackenzie is second to no artist who has ever faced the footlights in Auckland. He has a happy knack of making his listeners feel the oroad humour of the songs he so ably interprets. His execution of "KateDalryinple ' and'HabertTamson's Smithy' left nothing to be desired. Miss Marion Sampson made a very decided 'hit' by the clear enunciation and really nice expression with which she sang * Darby and •Toan,' and was deservedly encored. I advise her to make a more frequent use of this class of song. She did not succeed so well with 'Tell me my Heart,' but her rendering of ' The Curly Haired Boy ' from 'Ma Mie Rosette ' was satisfactory enough.

The sisters Maxwell (Florence and Mabel) contributed 'The Last Milestone' and " Killarney ' respectively, and although Mabel is the younger, and has not yet graduated from short frocks, she is the better singer of the twain. The item, however, -which she gave in response to the encore, was rather too ambitious. The Misses Maxwell also joined iti the operatic duet, ' Sainted Mother.' They were unsteady both as to time and tune at the start, but recovered themselves and finished all right. Mr Albert Lucas gave a spirited recital of ' The Charge of the Light Brigade.' Mr Towsey ably directed the conceit

On Monday night Mr Cooper treated a large audience in the City Hall to a pictorial tour through the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. The views were wellselected and most admirably depicted upon the screen. Mr Wm. Mackenzie was again the life and soul of the concert, and the audience exacted full satisfaction from him. He gave them ' Kate Dalrymple,' 'The Laird o' Cockpen,' '"A Man's a Man for a' That.' and ' The March of the Cameron Men,' besides taking a very effective part with Miss Marion Sampson in ' The Singing Lesson ' duet, in which this lady also appeared to advantage. She also sang with much taste and good expression, ' Darby and Joan.' In Bishop's rather ornate song. ' Bid Me Discourse,' she was not so well suited. Mr G. Tracey-Hall. who lias a light baritone voice, made his debut in Auckland, but will not cause a sensation. He enunciates rather indistinctly, and although his voice has good tinihrc, he has yet to learn how to make the most of it. Miss Mabel Maxwell went through 'Jessie's Dream' at a pace that nearly knocked the pianist out of time, and at a later stage joined with her sister. Florence, in a vocul duet. Miss Florence Maxwell also contributed a song. Mr Albert Lucas recited * Othello's Apology" with a bad memory and a good deal of rant, but he made recompense with a very fine interpretation of ' The Jiells,' and an acceptable rendering of ' Mv y Queen of Scots."

Mr Cooper has in preparation for his next conceit on Monday night something exceptionally attractive, viz., the grand limelight pantomime ' Aladdin.'

Mr John Fuller had the City Hall quite full on Tuesday night, and, in the absence of Brother Ben. personally conducted the pictorial torn- through the South Island. He lost his way a good many times, and mistook the Colonial Bank, Dunedin, for Knox Church, but then professional singers as a rule are not strong upon kirks, and John was forgiven. Mr C. E. Maekie exhibited a really first-class collection of views, and produced them upon the screen most x-ealistically. Mr Howard Chambers and Mr John Fuiler fairly divided the vocal honors and atoned for all deficiencies on the parts of the other contributors to the programme. Mr Fuller sang ' The Thorn,'

'Katie Mahone,' and 'Tom -Bowling. ''and Mr.Howard Chambers' numbers were ' Will o' the "Wisp,' ' The Little Hero,' and 'Vanity, Mr Archdale Tayler gave with very good effect Dibdin's well-known song, •Ever y Bullet Hath its Billet,' but his other contributions were not quite so successful. Miss E. L. Featon and Miss T. A. Hargrave also sang. Both ladies will do well to pay some attention to expression. There is room for improvement. Mr. Albert Lucas recited rather indifferently as much as he remembered of Hamlet's soliloquy ' To be or not to be,' but told the story of ' Kissing Cup's Race 'in his very best style. In this piece he scored very heavily, and well earned all the plaudits he got.

I feel impelled in conclusion to make passing reference to the 'encore nuisance.' On Tuesday night it passed all bounds. Every single item on the programme, good, bad, or indifferent — outside the pictures — was encored. Evidently some people go to these concerts with the full determination to get two shillings' worth, or rather length, of programme for their bob. The wonder is they don't encore the pictures too. Other people, who wish merely to hear and see what is set down for their entertainment, are forced by the lateness of the hour, to leave before^ the concert is nearly over. If Mr Fuller will advertise ' No encores ' for the future, in place of 'No explosions ' he will deserve the \ gratitude of a long-suffering public, although he may disappoint the few claqueurs, who hammer out their applause with walking sticks.

The programme for Mr Fuller's conceit on Tuesday next embraces a second instalment of views of ' Street and Slum Life in London.'