In turning to consideration of the performance on Friday, the singing of the principals did full justice to their position in the cast. Miss Mary Stewart' is always outstanding as a singer, but beyond that she combines (as has been noted before) vocal qualities with the ability to act in a convincing manner. To these talents, she added a third: that of dancing. Mr, Booth took the part of Aeneas and his rich and powerful Voice, together with a magnificently clear enunciation, produced great effect. As Belinda, the Lady-in-Waiting to Dido, Mrs, Harvey both sang and acted well Her voice seems to have improved in force; her duet with the second Lady-in-Waiting (Mrs. Spivey) was as sound as a bell. Miss Collins played the role of crafty and wicked Sorceress most satisfyingly. The chorus had its moments too, although it was obviously more at home in straightforward numbers as "The Hills and the Vales" (the optimum chorus for me) and the revolutionary' chorus "Destruction's our delight" than in the fugal ones which lacked the essential precision of vole entry, consequently resulting in a displacement of rhythm ín the aggregate. It is suggested that in the ensemble "scenes containing the full complement of witches, the stage was too small, which gave effect to crowding and confusion which was distracting at times, A word must be said in praise of the management and lighting of the stage which was both weird and effective when occasion demanded. The silhouette procession and the shaggy dance were both well handled. Members of the Russian Ballet added to the interest by interspersing a number of suitable dances.—1
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.