RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h
198

T: Farce (1 act) C: Amateurs

F: Music

Th: D

R: This was the last theatrical entertainment organised by Horatio BUSKIN and he could look back on a successful "career" as manager. Only the music had flagged of late (tonight "a buzz in a box near the proscenium represented the music — we were ten feet away from it and it was therefore lost upon us" the days of "Sir George Smart and Messrs Thalberg" and "Koenig" were over).

—

To make up for these shortcomings "Mr. CLAY as Honeybun (in the Infanticidal Farce) was, as he always is, first rate". In Slasher and Crasher the public witnessed the debut of "Miss Polly DEXTER as Rosa, affording hope of a new evening star of the first magnitude" (NCH 23.2.1856).

14.8.1856 (Thur)

N.N.: The Nigger Doctor and his Patient Patient or the First Lesson in Surgery

T: Negro farce

C: Travelling American Company (Messrs Baker, Woodward and Montgomery) Th: Old Theatre (C)

N: The whole evening was announced as a "Grand Ethiopian Musical Soirée"

R: An advertisement only was published in the NCH of August 9. In it the above mentioned gentlemen (formerly of the New York Serenaders) praised their performances as having been "the theme of universal admiration during the past four years throughout the East Indies as well as the Australian Colonies". In addition to the farce, the programme consisted of "Negro songs, interspersed with willy saying and doings peculiar to the African race in America".

19.9.1856 (Fri)

Concert by Ali Ben Sou Alle and some local amateurs.

Instruments: Turkophone, "Turkophonini", clarinet, piano.

Programme:

G. ROSSINI: Two overtures. V. BELLINI: Selections from "La Sonnambula". F. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY: "The Fairest Flower" (song). Some German songs, The "Shanghai Redowa Walse", Medley of English, Scottish and Irish airs. Th: N.N. (C)

R: Tonight was the occasion of the first real concert in the Settlement's history. It was given by Mr. ALI BEN SOU ALLE, a Turk who, after a study at the Conservatoire de Paris, had been appointed Directeur de Musique de Marine in Senegal (which had been French since 1871) in 1844. In 1847 he returned to Paris to enter the orchestra of the Opéra Comique, but the following year he went to London where he found employment in the orchestra of Her Majesty's Theatre at the Haymarket. He learned to play some instruments that had been invented by Adolphe Sax, the Belgian musician (1814-1894) and thereafter he made an extensive tour to Australia, Java, Singapore, Manila and China (CM 16, 10, 1856). In Hong Kong and even Canton he had appeared in August and October 1856 (CM 7.8. 14.8. 21.8. 16.10.1856). In between he gave two recitals in the Yangtze port. In the Survey it has already been stated that the soloist entertained the public with performances on several instruments that had been rechristened Turkophone and Turkophonini: in reality they were the Saxophone and (probably) the soprano saxophone. Well may we ask how these instruments, which were only of recent origin (1840s), were received by an audience completely unused to their sound. The artist interpreted a selection from Bellini's "La Sonnambula" on the "Turkophone" and the critic wrote that "the compass of the instrument is very great but we confess to some disappointment as regards its quality of tone, and correctness of tone also, in some few notes, and altogether we think it an imperfect instrument
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h
219

Colins: Mrs. C.R. Faylor Love Laughs at Locksmiths Robin: Mes. C.R. Faylor

Juliac: Mrs. E. Yeanians

Dame Durden: Mr. E. Yeamans.

Paddy Druden: C.R. Faylor

Only an advertisement for this performance was published in the Herald of May 7. The stage often has its own laws as to the gender of the participants. In amateur theatricals, men dressed up as women à l'outrance, whereas in a professional company like the present one male characters were personified by ladies and vice versa!

14.5.1864 (Sat)

Performance by the amateurs of the Royal Artillery.

No titles of plays recorded.

Th: N.N. (H)

R: NCH 21.5.1864

17.5.1864 (Tue)

Repeat of 14.5.1864.

26.5.1864 (Thur)

J.M. MORTON: “Whitebait at Greenwich" (1835)

T: Farce (1 act)

C. MATHEWS: "Little Toddlekins” (1852)

T: Comic drama (1 act)

J.M. MORTON: “Poor Pillicoddy” (1848)

T: Farce (1 act)

C: Amateurs of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps

F: Epilogue spoken by R.C. Antrobus, commander of the S.V.C.

Th: N.N. (H)

N: Final performance of the season

R: For the occasion Edward LAWRENCE, who was a "practitioner at Law and Notary Public” according to the “Shanghai Almanac for 1862”, had written an epilogue which was read by the commander of the S.V.C., Robert Crawford ANTROBUS (member of the Municipal Council 1864-1865). And, as if to give more weight to its reception, the Herald added that “many of the ladies joined in the applause” (NCH 28.5.1864).

28.5.1864 (Sat)

**An Evening at Home**: "Songs interspersed with anecdotes and conversation of the most lively description”.

C: Mr. J.R. Black

Th: Olympic Theatre (H)

31.5.1864 (Tue)

As on 28.5.1864.

3.6.1864 (Fri) As on 28.5.1864.

13.6.1864 (Mon)

"An Evening at Home - Great Jacobite Night" by Messrs. J.R. Black and Marquis Chisholm. Performance of the play The Advantages of Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Rising of 1745 (No piece with this title appears in HED), as well as ballads and songs (including 'Vi ravviso from Bellini's "La Sonnambula", act 1).

Th: Olympic Theater (H)
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h
222

the stage properties were unexceptionable". (NCH 22.10.1864)

15,10-21. 10. 1864

H.J. BYRON: "Fra Diavolo" (1858)

T: Burlesque burletta (1 act)

H.J. BYRON: "The Maid and the Magpie

T: Burlesque burletta (1 act), and other pieces.

C: Lewis A.D.C.

Th: N.N. (I

R: NCH 22,10,1864

17.10.1864 (Mon)

Concert by Mr. Desvachez (violin) and some local amateurs

Th: Shanghai Club

R: Another musical evening was given by Mr. DESVACHEZ in the recently completed Shanghai Club building. On this occasion "the audience was numerous and seemed to fully appreciate M. DESVACHEZ's musical talents”. (NCH 22.10.1864)

22.10.-28. 10. 1864

H.J. BYRON: "The Bride of Abydos" (1858)

T: Burlesque extravaganza (1 act)

N.N.: "The Lady of Lyons”, (No author mentioned, so it may have been original play by Lytton or the burlesque by H.J. Byron (1868)), and other pieces.

C: Lewis A.D.C.

Th: N.N. (l

R: For some actors of the Lewis troupe the strains of appearing every evening on the stage had become too much, for in the Herald it was "regretted that in thus making strenuous efforts to afford satisfaction to their audiences, two of the most promising members of the Company have become so severely indisposed as to be unable for some time to appear in public" (NCH 29.10.1864).

5.11.1864 (Sat) (See: Theatrical Advertisement, No. 10)

Amateur concert in aid of the repair fund of the "Hongque Free Episcopal Church”, the "Shanghai Vocal Quartette Club" and Mr. Marquis Chisholm, piano, Programme:

1. V. BELLINI: "La Sonnambula", duet (presumably 'Prendi l'anel ti dono' from act I) arranged for piano and harmonium by David Hermann ENGEL (1816-1877)

2. Sir Henry BISHOP: "Foresters sound the cheerful horn" (glee)

3. Marquis CHISHOLM: "Japanese Fantasia”

4. MULLER: "Maying" (sic; quartet)

5. Ballad "Arleen Aroom”

6. Philipp Friedrich SILCHER (1799-1860): "The Miller's Daughter” (quartet)

7. G. VERDI: "Rigoletto", duet ('E il sol dell' anima', act I; 'Piangi, fanciulla', act I), arranged for piano by John George CALLCOT (1821-1895)

8. Friedrich Wilhelm KÜCKEN (1810-1882): **Soldier's Love" (glee)

9. Valentin Eduard BECKER (1814-1890); "Cheer Up Companions” (choral march)

10. RADETSKA: "There's music in the air" (quartet)

11. G. DONIZETTI: "Lucrezia Borgia", arrangement for flute and piano by JAMES

12. Heinrich WERNER (1800-1833): "War Song" (glee)

13. CAXTON: "Breathe soft, ye winds"

14. William HORSLEY (and not F. Mendelssohn as stated in the advertisement): **By Celia's Arbour" (song)

15. Sir Henry BISHOP: "Sleep gentle lady" (glee)

16. William Vincent WALLACE (1813-1865): "Lurine", duet arranged for piano and
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