Costume Concert

“The entertainment which Mrs. Bernard and her company gave at Steinway Hall last night under the name of a ‘costume concert,’ is identical with a performance offered us a few weeks ago as an Old Folks Concert. The singers dress in the same burlesque [illegible] and sing the same sort of music with the same more-or-less comical by-play. Some of the pieces—and among them two madrigals, Ford’s ‘Since First I Saw Your Face’ and Morley’s ‘Now is the Month of Maying,’ were well done; but upon the whole the concert did not invite serious criticism. We doubt not that the Richings-Bernard Musical Union may serve to fill a spare evening in a country town, although it will not command [illegible] attention in the great cities like New-York.”

“The ‘Costume Concerts,’ to the first of which, given under the management of Mrs. Caroline Richings-Bernard, attention was called some time ago, were resumed at Steinway Hall last evening. These entertainments consist of instrumental and vocal solos, and part singing, supplied by performers attired in accordance with the fashion-plates of a century or two ago. If we could have the music as well as the dresses of the period, the concerts would have an almost historical interest. But the tunes have no particular age, and the achievements of the saxophone-player, despite his garb, are so clearly modern as to destroy any illusion which the appearance of the ‘Old Folks’ upon the platform may at first produce. The audience—a very large one—was nonetheless delighted with the songs, and, liberal as the programme was, there was a strong disposition to have many of the numbers repeated.” 

“A series of popular concerts was begun at Steinway Hall last night by the troupe of singers of which Mr. and Mrs. Richings-Bernard are the leading vocalists. The audience was very large, and liberal in applause and encores. The feature of the programme which seemed to give the most thorough delight was the finished four-part singing by a quartet of male voices, all well trained and managed with great care. Several choruses also were received with favor, and the music lesson duet by Mr. and Mrs. Bernard, excellently sung and vivaciously acted, was redemanded. The harp solo, the saxophone solo and other specialties of the evening also proved acceptable.

This troupe has so much in it that is meritorious that it is lamentable to see what blunders it sometimes makes—blunders not in performance, for the drilling has been admirable—but in the selections. A clever pianist plays a stirring and amusing burlesque piece; but on receiving an encore he entertains the audience with a would-be funny speech only in place in a minstrel entertainment. Then the programme is far too long, and in the words of a glee probably well known to the members of this company,

“—wearied wretches seek repose”

before the concert is over. Yet long as is this programme, there does not seem to be a place in it for the better class of music of which Mrs. Bernard is an able exponent. This lady is too intelligent and accomplished a vocalist to waste all her energies in the limited range bounded by these popular concerts. She should have at least one bravura or operatic song in which to prove her ability.

The concerts will be continued during the week. They appeal to popular tastes, and possess both variety and novelty, while it would be quite easy to free them from those features which, to a metropolitan taste at least, are objectionable.” 

“It is a melancholy but undeniable fact that, with a portion of the musical public, an entertainment in which features of a character foreign to the divine art are introduced has more attractive power than the music itself. On no other ground could the immense attendance at Steinway Hall last night be accounted for. Over a score of ladies and gentlemen, dressed in outlandish costumes, occupied the stage and rendered a programme pretty well diversified, but rarely arising above mediocrity. There was some good part singing, madrigals, glees, &c., an agreeable saxophone solo, a tenor ditto [sic] not so agreeable, and a rather pleasing arrangement of themes from ‘Un Ballo en Maschera’ on the harp. The finished style and well trained voice of Mrs. Caroline Richings Bernard were the principal features of the concert. Some people say that a Flaherty or other like name must be Italianized into Flaerti, or Foley into Foli, before it can be tolerated by polite ears, even when accompanied by the most magnificent voice. But when artists are obliged to conceal their real names under such meaningless terms as Margery Pinchwife, Win the Fight Little Wit, Taffy Touchlightly, and Susan Sweetapple, it is hard resisting the impression that such a course is adopted to hide the absence of real musical talent. The performance last evening, however, tended to remove partially such an impression. We trust that the success of this ‘costume’ concert will not lead to similar extravagances in the dresses of singers. It would be hard to appreciate even the quartet from ‘Rigoletto’ when sung by four persons in Kickapoo war paint or Ashantee reception dress.”