Society determined to wind up the session 1886-87 with an entertainment which should clipse any of their previous efforts. The 183 members, each of whom was allowed to bring a friend, demanded a much larger hall than any they had previously vecupied, and accordingly the Lyceum Theatre was en-fie usual Concert platform, covered with aged. Here " transformation was effected.
the traditional scarlet, was erected over the orchestra, and lined with flowers and ornamental plants. On it were the two pianos and the reading-desks; and it was ked by a handsome colonnade with statues, n part of the scenic wealth of the A.D.C. From the parquette the seats were removed, and tables nnd chairs substituted the tables provided with the tra churchwardens' from Brosely, without which " smoking concert would be a Haunlet without the Prince of Denmark.—The parquette und dress circle were soon filled an eager crowd, all, unfortunately, the sterner sex, whose varied costume red that we are ut the time of year hen summer still lingers in the lap of ing. On entering the theatre the visitors, received, in the shape of the programme handed them, a convincing proof of the care that had been taken to make the entertainment a unique one. Each received a little book, printed and bound after the antique, each page of which contained the title of one of the numbers and the name of the performer, with his portrait, good-naturedly caricatured, on the opposite page. The Bprefac to this novel programme isa gem:—is lyttel Boke, When ye same shall be reade will presenta all ye sereralle items pertaining to a Right Merrie Entertayumente which ye Shanghai Literarye and Debatynge Society do purpose to delyghte ye memberes thereof and theire quale yossippes the may also be summoned for ye purpose of being extertayned on ye Fufteenthe day of the monthe yelept June MDcccLxxxvut afte fufteene minutes after ye lioure of nine in yo Brenynye.
H.T. Wade, Serycener. and the whole production dues credit to Messrs, Kelly & Walsh, Limited.
Soon after a quarter past nite General Kennedy, the President of the Society, called the meeting to order in a short and telling speech, He said that the Committee were glad to see so large a company present, of members and their friends, and he trusted that they would be filled even to satiety with the good things which the programme promised, so that all the friends would become members before the next session. They wanted good-looking men, of which the theatre was full (cheers). They wanted mon of capacity in every way, and he saw them round him in shoals (cheers). He wished to tell the meeting that owing to the length of the programme, it had been decided that no ex res should be accepted; and with these few words th (which were heartily applauded) he welcomed then all to the theatre, and set the ball, rolling. The first number was the familiar but ever delightful Orerture to Masanielto, played as a pianoforte duet by Messrs. Beatticand Vinay. Itis needless to say that with two such excellent musicians, theduet went with great spirit, and asmuch applauded. Rossini was the. composer of the second number, the well-k of Figaro from the Bu How M. de Malherbe known, © He was accom able; and the song was greatly enjoyed. A change was now nnaie in the programme, Mr. Grayston coming forward to recite 'The Execution from the Ingoldsby Legends. Tt was very impress the having a proper feeling for the pathos as as the humour of the well-know This was followed by a song, A Whaler' Yarn, from Mr. Marshall, whose fine bass voice filled the theatre, the chorus being taken up by the audience. Mr. Vinay was the ever ready and willing, The flute is an instrument which abe others illustrates the truth of the corruption optimi pessima; it is admi able when well, and intolerable when ill played. Mr. Loam, to whom was trusted the fifth number, cheve an atria from Donizetti's JU Tusw, in which he was accompanied by Mr.' Vinay on the piano; he played even better than usual, and the house was loud in its acknow-Iedgments. The soft notes of the flute had hardly died away Mr. Such came forward to Pally, accompanied by My. With very much voice, Mr. Such sings his excellently the audience guested to join in the chorus, but it was pitched a little high, and the response was hot very vociferous. Mr. Such was deser-vodly applauded. "Mr. Starkey followed with a reading of Mark Twain's "English as she is taught," from the Chufwr Though the extract was nther lou: and Mr. Starkey's id not quite penetrate to the back of the dress the reading was very much en bursts of hearty laughter greeting delightful blunders and strange facts in hi tary, mathematics, geography, ete which the paper is stuffed. The Tavoutite Mr. J. M. Fabris came next with the patter song from Kuddiyore, "Tf you wish in the world to advance," in which he was accompanied by the unwearied Mr. Vinay. The very taking melody was eagerly caught up by the audience and the chorus was sung with much spirit, the only fault of the song being that it was too short. At the conclusion of this number General Kennedy proposed that refreshments should be the next item on the order of the night, 'a proposition that was carried by acclaim: tion, and followed by an immediate supply and consumption of seltzer water not unmixed here and there with wh Nor was Bass altogether without his Yotaries. The clinking of glassses had hardly subsided when Mr. Limby came forward to read Buchanan's stirring poem, Phil Blood's voice compelled the attention of the audi-His military style and powerful ence, and the point was intently listened to and greatly appreciated. The next number (10) was one of the crowning feats of the evening, It was the duet, The Reformed Couple, from Ruddiyore, by Miss M. J. Frank and Mr. Col, Clamp. 'The scone was changed to a baronial ball,' and the audience were called to attention by the sound of bells: Two trap-doors in the stage opened, and amid the glare of red fire, Col. Clamp, as a veritable Stigsins, and Miss Frank, appropriately dressed as his better half, rose slowly from the Their duct with its dances was inimitable, and at the end of k a pantomime header eof the back panels, on which, legend, "Gene to the Custom-House," appeared in striking letters, Miss Frank following through anotherpane), with the legend "Gene to the Wash." The duet, accompanied by Mr. Bowring, his first a pearance on the Shanghai boards, was so in' unlimited supply made their appearance, and then Mr. Vinay the untiring opened the second part wit the overture to Luddigore on the piano. wise one lad been asking who Th umber (12) Was a genuine sure
ry Huntingdon was, whose recitation, ing Ca itent He turned out to be and his recitation was one of the tinest things ever given in Shanghai, The pathetic sporting poem which he had chosen was delivered with " realism and ut of feeling which held the audi-Phe poem was new, written anil intrinsically interesting, and it was recited with real genius, Tt was followed by thunders of applause, well-deserved, and genuine; owing nothing, we heard that suggested, to the ud whisky with which the audience were by this time lulled into. satisfaction, In Mr. Huutinulon Shanghai has real star. Number 13 was a violin solo by Mr.
Annstrong, an, excellent amateur player, who chose a Smate by Bach, short nnd sweet, in which he was accompanied by the undaunted Mr. Vinay. Next to him, Mr. Dolson sang in his known. style Laville's The Brookside, to the piano necompaninent of Mr. Vinay, with flute obligato by Mr. Lown, ~The recitation by Mr. Martin (No. 15) sullered a little from ems too familiar, Hood's very
ject for the recitative powers of aspire rauatic oom as een focoutite sub ing youth for almost half a century. Mr, Martin's declamation is approprinto and well-studied, and the louse heard him with evident satisfaction, The song "Vanity," which should have come ext, was umitted, and in its place Mr. Brewer, a visitor from Hongkong, accompanied by Mr. Vinay, sang admirably a stirring bal-A Life on the Rolling Sea." The next number was an interpolation, and this was another surprise. The execttant was Mr. Stern, a visitor from Philadelphia, who 'd_kindly volunteered to play on the violin a charming little piece, Lo Kore, by Goltermann, the indefatigable Mr. Vinay accompanying hin on the piano, Mr. Stern was playing on the spur of the moment, on a strange instrument, and without any previous practice with his accompanyist, but the first few notes declared the master. There has been no such violinist in Shanghiaias Mr. Stern, with the exception of Reményi, and the audience was enthralled with the purity of hie tones-and the grace of his execution. Tt was a genuine treat, and was listened to with the most absorbed attention, and again it was impossible to refuse the thundering demand for an encore, and Mr. Stern responded by playing a Berceuse by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.