The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-04-10 00:00:00

MR. AVANT'S OONCEIZT.

A really equkite treat was affonled to the sotnical public
of Weymouth on Easter Tuesday, and we were happy to
see that first-class isol. iii particular as-ailed themselves'
of it, the reserved seats being full. The sec ml and hack
seats were only moderately MLA, Mr. Avant's friends'
mostly belonging ta the gentry, and indeed the programme
was such as to suit them best. The tir t p srt inhaled
sacred selections from the great composers, and the
singers established themselves at once in favour, by their
mutat rendering of " we like Sheep ;" their conductor
(Mr. Avant) taking them veer it at a pace'yrhich showed
he wonlil have smartness. In the pieces which followed
the first, ant a red gens of the evening, was Mile
Dansev's solo " Hear say prayer ;" this lily does indeed
put her mud into what she sings, and admiral& was her
success; the craving, imploring expre-don was foreildy
given, while tone and management of voice alike caused
the audience to hail in Mis. Danscy a rml songstress.
! Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Shaw also sang well, and Mrs,
! Andrews continued to receive the favour she always gains
' from her audiences. The last piece of the first part was
the grand chorns (tlsodel) "Lift up your beset," awl
this was another very decided treat; it welt with such an
outburst of harllrelielle joy, almost an re4n,,,1,-,, of rapture,
I that every)i sly w;,,,,idightej.
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The sec.mil part commenced with a duet "Sinvenir
St. Bernard," !rem G. Lasuothe's Angelus, Mr. T. Avant
and Mr. G. Thorne played the harissoninna and pianoforte I
and the effect was admirable, the full swelling sounds of
the harmonious giving a body to the music, while the
manipulation was very ^osel, as was to be expected from t
those two musicians—Mrs. Pe Itermer very kindly sang
Curschman's 'Arise, bright golden star of day ;" the Its le
has such a gracious presence a, ensures her being received
with great favour, an impressiin heightened by her
pleasing voice—Miss Ley awl Mrs. Atty next saute an
Italian duet, and although they were by no sueles °pia]
in animation, one lady being all dignity awl the other all
livelier., the effect was pleasing, sense grace notes
especially leing successfully trilled—Mr. Avant next
obliged with one of his artistic piano solos—Beethoven's
"Polonaise," and exhibited his dexterous fingering, cow.
bined with murk taste and feeling in some tuneful .
passages, and rarely have we heard web an outburst of
applause, loud and long continued, as follsweil • Mr.
Avant at last yielded to the incessant demands for an
encore.—Miss Hanson sang "I thought to two away I
before" Prom Barnett's " May (,siseen), she threw sismds
pathos into the song, and exhibited a vice of nmeh
flexibility, new and then shoes in a surprising manner.
! The lady was warmly encored, lost her judgment was not
to be swayed: she, with the lest goal taste, cracefully
bowed her steknowledgentents.—No concert is complete .
without Mr. Seudamore s flute, and when that gentleman
and Mr. Thorne came on to play a concerted duet "'tome,
sweet home the audience were expectant Mr. Scuds'
toner, as usual, drew from the mellow flute the most
beautiful tones, the longing expression of " llome, sweet
home" being no well rendered that the flute seemed to
; live ; Mr. Sesulamore was very warmly applanded.—Mrs.
; Shaw gave in cultivated style Arditi's " L'Estasi ;" she
, sang with nsuch power, and her trills and shakes were
I evidences of careful preparation—Mr. J. IL J. Hamilton
recdered Blumenthal's 'My Qoeuss," with correctness
and some taste; but his singing would le all the snore
better if he threw into it more souL— Miss Ley in
i "II Pallid° Fiore" gave an illustration of how much
I success can be achieved by ;rood singing, with but little
I animation of countenance, the lady certainly leeks
neon, and will do well to add it to her graces of v oice.
Mr. Avant gave is variety by perfornsing his owu pretty
galop "Sleigh Bells" on the g.ranil piasto,Assotoposer
I and performer both, he received very warm applaisse ; the
, effects hail frequently been fresh, and the whole piece was
pleasing.—Mrs. Courher, Mrs. Stedman, and Mr. Paresis
sang together well in Swart's "Queen of the Night," and
all three contributed much to the success of the piece,
Mrs. Concher's treble, Mrs. Sterlinan's rid. contralto, and
the favourite voire of Mr. Parsons, all combining in some
fine passages, and each receiving applause—Miss Lansey.
awl Mr. Hamilton gave such • treat in Liscantonis
"Una notte a Venezia" that they were persistently
ensured; Mr. Ilan:Alton will no doubt willingly yield
a Its dam,: for Miss Dansey so heartily tried to do
the very best by the sone, that she could wit fail of
sneeees. A little effort of the eentlensan to show action
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suiting the song, in accord with the lady, was to he
desired, if our fancy does not mislead—The finale was
the fatuous ” Soldier's Chorus" (Faust), and the gentlemen
who formed the male chorus let us have It in tine rough
voice, exactly suiting the chorus. It was much and
deservedly applauded, and thus a capital concert was
brought to a close.