Success 'The officers and committee of the Shanghai St. Andrew's Society every year since 1913 or 1914 (wher the annual concerts ceased to be libeld) have many times been told that they -were. making a' mistake in persuading themselves that a 'Burns' Nicht Concert could not be! arranged, that it would be a failure if it was' arranged, and that in any case the people did not want it and welld not support it. Year after year went by with nothing done and many chances of making extra money for charitable purposes thrown away, until this year Mr. Donald MacDonald, fiercely enthusiastie in the cause of Scottish song dance, and further in. spired by Mr. Win, Heugh-an, insisted thats he would Fun a concert by himself if neces sary. Then the committee capita: lated and since Saturday night they vill he compelled to admit that they and their predecessors made a great mistake, The Lyceam Theatre was packed, leven the side seats in the dress irene from which one can get only squinting view of the stage being occupied, and seldom can there have been a more enthusiastic audience. They yelled a "houch!" when the Municipal Orchestra opened medley of Scottish airs, and they maintained a wild chorus of "benchs!" until they had persuaded Mr. Brodie Clarke to say a few words when all was over. Any 0 Jcould have performed well to such fan audience and the performers all gave of their best, The Songs of Scotland Mrs. W. Lyle was a great success Dressed like a trio Aberdeen fish-with-a creel of fish over her shoulders, she gave a realistic rendering of "Caller Her but the encore number was even more popular, for she sang "John Anderson" to Mr. Brodie Clarke Most appealingly. Later she gai "My Ain Wee Hoose" and 'Comin thro' th' Rye." Shanghai does not have to be told of Mrs. Lyle's splendid voice and how well. she luses it: it is sufficient to say that she sang at her best and she was all the better for singing Scottish songs to a Scottish audience.
Mr. R. F. Hunter, though not so well known, was not less @ favourite. He has the voice and the lly fine in "A. and that glorious Hebridean marching song, "The Road to the Isles." It is to be hoped that Mr. Hunter will be in Shanghi for the next Burns' Nicht, for it wil not be easy to find a substitute, Mr. E.R. Morrison deserves the special thanks of the committee and those who listened to him, At the last moment he filled*in gaps in the programme and undertook to sing songs with which he was not word-perfect andewhich require a dewh}Macienna emphasizing. Tt was amazing that he should do 30 well, but of course he is no novice on the stage' jand doubtless his long experience stood him in good stead. His Lauder song was quite good. "There was a Lad was Born in Kyle" and "Bonnie Dundee" would have been hotter had they been suing less slowly, for they are good roaring choruses that are improved, with pace, but "A Man's a Man for that," the most difficult of all, the one he did best, and with all his songs he had mo diffeulty in setting the audience to join him in the choruses. Humourous turns occupied little of the programme, Mr. Dan M. Mollison having the field almost to himself and he was very successful with his recitations, "The—Goalkeeper's Highland Dancing Patrons of the concert had been promised mach in the way of Highland dancing and as judged by their applause they were in no way di appointed. Possibly they will think the more of it when told that only tone of the nine dancers had had any Tong experience of performing public, whilst many of the steps done were quite new to most of dancers little more than a month ago. Assiduous practice had its re-was in a display that went through with scarcely a fault. The biggest mistake some of them made was fin not recognizing.the- fact. that Highlind dancing is of a most con-Servative'order and follows hard and fast rules. There is a certain form to be followed in all steps and provided this is adhered to, new steps always can be built arourit but there is one unalterable ture which will be noticed at Highland Games—the entrance. Even though ladies take part, Highland dancing is esta ly al manly and almost a military exercise, so that dancers always march on with something of a miilitary display. They never adopt the mincing niceties of the minuet, the tango or the hesitation waltz, nor fancy entrances from differen: corners of the stage, curtseying and preening in the centre, Apart from this fault, the dancing: was excellent. Wee Joan Lachlar, one of Miss Sharp's lever pupils, led the way with a Highland fling of six steps, all of which were orthodox, contrary to "the usual practice of those who learn their dancing outside Scotland, and the little girl was thoroughly' deserving of the roar of applause she received. Misses Jean and Yvonne Crighton, Messrs. H. K. Strachan and W. Maclennan followed with a sprightly Strathspey and reel, which was duplicated in the second part of the programme by Mrs. Gordon Dewar, Miss Mabel Wilson, Messrs. IT. Wallace and J. P. Stalker. Prob: ably the most popular of the daneing turns was the Ghillie Callum danced simultaneously by Missex Jean and Yvonne Crighton and Messrs, Strachan and Maclennan. The neat footwork. of the young Indies was specially commented upon, and experts did not fail to note how they at once picked up the beat when a faulty reed worried the piper and caused him to change time. The two reel fours combined for an eightsome reel, which was vigorous and enjoyable, even though there were one or two mistake
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.