Of all the smoking concerts that are given in Shanghai in the course of the year there is none that excels the annual concert of the German Company of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, given in the handsome theatre of the Club Concordia. Saturday (4th) night's concert was a classical example. The theatre, decorated with the flags of all friendly nations and the shields of the German States, and palms and
soon filled by a thirsty crowd in various greenery and lighted by electricity, was uniforms and in the humble garb of the common Philistine, Captain Heyn of the German Company being in the chair, supted by Major Holliday, Commandin,.V.0., two officers of the Frene Company, Chief Engineer Moore of the Fire Brigade, and several of the officers of the S.V.C. The Town Band, wit Commander Vela, in uniform, was in attendance, and began the proceedings by laying a March by Unrath, Unter dem oppelaler, Then Captain Heyn rose and in a very neat speech in English proposed the health of the Company's comrades of the S.V.C. whom they wore only too viad to welcome that evening, and the other guests. This was cheerfully drunk, and Major Holliday responded in a short but very happy address, in which he justly complimented the German Company on their drill, discipline, smartness and good. fellowship. Then came a capital an spirited four-hand performance on th: by Messrs. Goerlt and Steger, a Military March by Schubert, which was much plauded. This was followed by a magnificent performance on the horizontal bar by Messrs, Heyn, Philipp, Stampff, and Wentzensen, after which the Shanghai Hercules did some really marvellous feats with heavy weights anddumb-bells, After he had tripped smilingly off, the four athletes returned and gave a fine exhibition of vaulting and lofty tumbling with the horse, the nerves of the audience being then restored to their normal equanimity by a selection from Carmen by the Band, the singers who were present joining in the chorus. Herr Dedo was the next to appear the stage, a recent comer to Shanghai who is undoubtedly one of the finest comedians, with the most wonderful command of his facial muscles, that we have ever seen here. He kept the audience in roars of laughter, closing his monologue with a couple of brief duologues, the one tragic, the other comic, in which he was capitally supported by an anonymous fellow-comedian, Then came Mascagni's celebrated Intermeso by the Band, followed by a Shadow Pantomime of moderate mirthfulness. This, with a Waltz by the Band, closed the firet part.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.