Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1881 — The Gypsy Concert. [ARTICLE]

The Gypsy Concert.

The gypsy concert last Friday evening at the Opera House was a success. The auaienoe was rather small, —in the aggregate, some of its members were large enough in detail of course. The stage was gotten up to represent a gypsies’ camp, and was decidedly aesthetic in its arrangements. ‘ An oriental profusion in the use of fire-wood, by way of seats for the gypsies, formed aperfect symphony in saw-logs. Three lovely fence rails (cribbed for the occassion, from Uncle Hen. Barkley's fence, through the seal of Watson, and Farden), of a subdued ashes-of-old-saw-duat color, and in the minor key, were gathered into graceful festoons by a sympathetic log-chain. From the chain was suspended a nocturne in black and white, without the white, in the form of a common -kitohen kettle, too sweet for anything. A fire was kindled under the kettle during the evening, but with just what purpose we are unable to state. It eould not have been intended to typify the old-fashioned process of soap makiug, for the reason that, with the possible exception of fine toothed combs, there is nothing under the whole ‘‘canister of the heavens ” to which a gypsy may be supposed to be so entirely superior, as the article soap. The final disposition made of the kettle is also, to us, unknown, but as the Fortune Teller “showed up ” with the best hand of cardß she would naturally be entitled to “take in the pot.” Want of time and space prevent any extended criticism of the different performances of the evening. We will however take the liberty of making special mention of Miss Eva Robinson, of Onarga, Illinois. As a stranger among us she is entitled to special notice; and, besides, we wish to make her performance point the moral of a few words of friendly counsel to concert singers who desire to please the rank and file of their and tors. Miss Robinson decidedly todk the chief honors of the evening. She has a fine contralto voice, well cultivated; and what is more important to most people, her singing could be understood. JVe are \feell aware that it is quite the fashion among public singers, of every degree, to sing in auch a manner that neither men nor angels can tell even the language of the song, let alone distinguishing the words. Nevertheless we firmly believe that not one person in five enjoys singing of that character at ,lall, and the fifth person would like it none the less if he understood it.