Marlborough Express, 25 January 1890
CALEDONIAN CONCERT
... The Concert last evening was very unsuccessful. The partial success of the programme was more than outweighed by the discourgaing meagreness of the audience.

The instrumental music was excellent, the two overtures by Mr and Miss CHEEK being played in scholarly and effective style

Mr G. A. KENNEDY, of Wellington, contributed two pieces on the violin, both of which were most tastefully played and were encored

Master McRAE won great applause for his Hielan fling, for which Mr KENNEDY played on the piano an accompaniment in lieu of the bag-pipes, Piper MURRAY being absent

Mr NAIRN gave a Scotch reading in a pleasing and quietly effective manner

Mr GASKILL, however, was the success of the evening and saved the concert from failure. His inimitable powers as a comedian quite enraptured the audience, who rewarded him with storms of applause

Mr T. B. CRUMP essayed the Romany Lass and sang it correctly, but without a trace of the dash and abandon with which it is imperative that this song should be accompanied

"Robin Adair" by Miss NORMANBY was sweetly sung, and a duet by this young lady and her sister (Mrs BOOTH) entitles "My Pretty Page" was given with much refinement and musical effect

"Huntingtower" was given My Miss GILLESPIE and Mr GOOLD, and Mr C. LANE sang "Jessie's Dream". Mr GOOLD gave also "Jock o' Hazledean"

Mr TANSELY sang capitally a comic song in character, accompanied very nicely by Miss TANSELY

Miss GIRLING, whom we should like to hear oftener in concerted music, sang "River of Years"

Miss SIMSON, whose clear young voice and natural demeanour make her ever welcome, sang "Comin' through the Rye" in excellent style and was loudly encored

Miss GILLESPIE essayed "The Bonnie Hills o' Scotland, but the song and the accompaniment somehow did not get on well together

"Auld Lang Syne" as a finale was simply a burlesque. The singers joined hands at the first verse, and this of course, quite killed the effect of the thing, and at the second verse the soloist burst into uncontrollable laughter and beat a hasty retreat, the rest of the company following.

The audience then dispersed. If they did not, as they were requested on the programme, "join in the chorus" they joined heartily in the laughter