MADAME AMY SHERWIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6126, 12 March 1898, Page 6

MADAME AMY SHERWIN.

m FIFTH CONCERT. Either Madame Amy Sherwin improves on acquaintance or her voice was in exceptionally good order last night. Certainly it is doubtful if she has ever sung better. Her first number, " Roselein Roselein," by Schumann ; •' Songsmy MotherTaughtMc," by Dvorak ; and " Villanelle," all conspiculously different from one another, was, for this very reason, unusually effective. Its i effect upon the audience was marked, and a spontaneous demand for an encore was graciously responded to with "Oh, Ma Babbie," which has already become an established favourite. For "Couplets dv Mysoli," a florid romance from David 's La Perle dv Bresil, Madame Sherwin substituted the ever-welcome " No, Sir," for which she was again recalled,.and instead of " On the Banks of Allan Water/ she gave "The Dashing White -Sergeant." Her labours did not end here, as with Miss Kitty Grindlay and Mr Arthur Deane, she took part in the trio, "I'm Not the Queen" from Balfe's Rose of Castille, which was likewise encored. Miss Grindlay sang "Three Fishers," "An Old j Garden," and " Alas Those Chimes," from ! Maritana. Miss Grindlay's voice was j hardly at itsbest, but her singing pleased • the audience so much that the fixst and ! last items were encored, and were replaced v respectively by "O Whustle and I'll Come tae ye, My Lad," and " When We Meet." Mr Deane sang Needham _ "There's a Land," the prologue from Leoncavallo's " rPagliacci," and "Long Ago in Alcala." The first wasfairly wellsung, the second, an extremely difficult number, received an encore, which was responded to wi th Hatton 's "ToAnthea," while the last certainly did notgaintheattentionitdeserved. Mr Alberto Zelman was recalled for both his violin solos, a romance by Wilhelinj and a Spanish dance by Sarasate. For the romance he substituted " Eomanesca," by Hans Sits, and for the Spanish dance a delightful little serenade by Pieine, which he played at the first concert. Messrs Stoneham and Szczepanowski played a sonata by Prout for flute and piano, and Mr Szczepanowski contributed a barcarolle, composed by himself, and Chopin's Mazurka in C, while Miss Grindlay and Mr Deane sang the duets, "Friendship," by Marzials, and " This is My Deed," from the Bohemian Girl. To-night the last concert of the season will be given.