Untitled

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6596, 21 September 1899, Page 3

{" Canterbury Times.") 'Lyre" writes as follows:— A very successful concert was given at Rimu, Hokitika, on August 1, in aid of a local charity. The music supplied by the various performers was excellent. The Holritika Town Band, under Mr J. Davidson, played outside the hall before the entertainment. The Hokitika .Wesleyan Orchestral Society, under the conductorship of Mr W. E. Perry, played 'in a manner which was deserving of the greatest credit. The Sydney Liedertafel • has decidea to etAge at one of the city theatres a new opera, " Lady Lucretia," composed by its conductor, Mr Alfred Hill, formerly of New Zealand, to a libretto by Mrs Margery Brown. Mdlle. Trebelli did well in Tasmania. At her recital in the Hobart Town Hall on August 25 hundreds had only standing room. On the following night the enthusiasm of her admirers culminated in the presentation of a wreath of Tasmanian gold, suitably inscribed. Mdlle. Trebelli opened in Melbourne on August 31. If (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney " Bulletin," in the issue of that paper, which appeared on Sept. 2) Dolly Castles is the Castles who is said to have " a finer voice than Amy " the confiding public of Australia will escape a boom in this caso. Amy Castles's younger relative sang " Told in the Twilight " at a Melbourne Royal matinee last week. Preliminary puff paragraphs credited Dolly with " gold medals" for warbling this 3amo ballad in Bendigo competitions, and a considerable percentage of the audience had come with an idea of discovering another "future Melba" who was to be even more so than Amy. The disillusionment amounted to positive .cruelty. Younger sister Dolly has no voice worth mentioning at present, nor any means of persuading people that she ever earned even a putty medal on her merits. There's no music, taste, or feeling in her warble. The writer has heard " Told in the' Twilight" (otherwise "Close to the Threshold ") sung many times sinoe it was brought out by a young Irish tenor, named Newcombe, at London Gaiety Theatre, some twenty years ago, but he never heard it so badly treated before. The Melbourne audience, strange to say, realised the true character of Miss Dolly's performance, and didn't trouble to give her a full half-round of applause. In the light of those puff pars., the fraud was too outrageous. Miss Dolly had all the necessary confidence, also I a short frock and a rather natty pair of young legs. The disconcerted "Argus" [ merely menfcioued her name next morning, but the " Age " gave her " a sweet and clear voice, with admirable enunciation " (in these respects she didn't approach the little Ranger girl, of Richards' Co.), and said, "Miss Dolly is fourteen years of age, but looks younger," which means that she is fifteen, childishly dressed. Paderewski is reported by a London paper to have received £1000 several times recently for p.aying at musical evenings. This fee beats Melba's by about £600 ! The editor of a London musical contemporary, with a paternal desire that his readers should enjoy a successful holiday, has asked various musical celebrities the best means to secure it. Here are some of the answers. Sir Frederick Bridge : "I go where there are no organs and very distant churches." Mr Edward Elgar : " The ordinary professor might study music, if not too violent a change.'! Mr Corder : "I go for a fortnight to Bayreuth, followed by six weeks of perfect seclusion to be devoted to the composition of an opera. I cannot imagine a more complete change for an English musician." Air Filmer Rook: "A deaf and dumb asylum." Signor Esposito : "The most soothing and restful way for a musician to spend his holiday is in studying the back numbers of the Incorporated Society of Musicians' ' Monthly Journal.' It is economical, harmless, and involves no violent exertion." Dr Manns: "If a married man, the musician will have to spend his holiday how his ma* I ter likes." J