SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1123, 19 October 1911, Page 18

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES.

WELLINGTON.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

WELLINGTON, October 16.

The Royal Comic Opera Company got a rousing reception from their old friends last Wednesday night. The Opera House was packed to the doors with a most enthusiastic audience, who thoroughly enjoyed the musical comedy “Our Miss Gibbs.” The season is an assured success.

The next attraction at the Opera House will be “The Woman in the Case Company.” In the ranks of the Royal Comic Opera Company are some fifteen members of the Masonic fraternity, who pass a certain part of every Sunday in holding a school of instruction. They are all most enthusiastic members ot the craft.

The Kilbirnie Skating Rink continues to be well patronised at the evening sessions. Charles Emerald and Maud Dupre are the headlines at the Royal this week.

Notwithstanding the many counter attractions all the picture shows seem to be doing good business. The Royal Choral Society is to give a performance of Sir Frederic Cowen’s dramatic cantata, “Ruth,” in the Town Hall, on Friday evening. The principals are Mrs Gower Burns, soprano; Miss Gladys Watkins, mezzo soprano; Mrs. Carlyle Free, contralto; Mr Sydney Butler, tenor; Mr C. H. Clarkson, baritone. The chorus and orchestra number 2 60. Mr Maughan Barnett will conduct. “The Gay Gordons” Company return to the North Island on Sunday, the sth November, opening for two nights at Palmerston Nor|h on the following evening. Wanganui will be played on Wednesday, November Bth, opening at Auckland on Friday, November 10 th, the season extending until the 25th. Auckland playgoers are in for a rare treat. Mr Harry Sadler is again in the bill at the Theatre Royal. MUSIC NOTES.

(By

“G” String.)

The Huddersfield Bellringers opened their Australasian tour at Dunedin on the 6th inst., the Garrison Hall being well filled by a most enthusiastic

audience. The combination consists of thirteen members, nine of whom constitute the bellringers, who have evidently elaborated bellringing to a fine art. More than that, the Huddersfield Band, ’tis said, has not contented itself with merely playing simple and familiar airs, but has attacked music of a class hitherto untouched by companies who have preceded it, and with a success that is truly surprising. Another notable feature about the band is the excellent way in which the music is arranged to suit the bells, and the fine harmonics heard in the chorus, which are frequently introduced with great effect. The Company includes a very charming singer in Miss Ella Airlie, who has an almost limitless collection of bright little

songs. Miss Airlie accompanies herself on the piano. The whole performance is said to be exceedingly bright and clever.

It is definitely announced that Dr. Richter will not conduct “The Ring” at Covent Gardens in the autumn. Lively curiosity is being felt in London as to the choice of a successor, which the syndicate will make. Several names have been mentioned, but at present speculation is premature.

The Sunday concerts at the Queen s Hall, London, began on September 2 4th, and will continue until March 17th.

At Oxford a few weeks ago, Mr Ernest Newman said “the history of choral music for the past 2 50 years

has been largely the history of German choral music.

The firm of Furstner, of Berlin, has just published Strauss’ Opus 4, which has never before been issued. It is a suite of B flat major for wind instruments (two flutes, two oboes, two clarionets, two bassoons, contra-fag-otto, and four horns). It is in four movements: Prelude, Romance, Gavotte, Introduction, and Fugue. The suite was composed in 1883, and was played in Munich in 1884, under the composer’s direction, by the Meeningen players. Strauss has arranged it as a piano duet, and this is the only one of his orchestral works which he has “arranged” himself. Mr Oscar Kammerstein has not as yet decided to give English performances ot opera in his new Opera House in London. He has, in fact, not got further than a determination to consider the matter. The excellence of his English chorus, he says, leads him to think that it may be possible to make the experiment with a good prospect of success. Mr Hammerstein has decided to include “William Tell” in his season’s repertoire. The revival should be interesting.