MISCELLANEOUS REVIEWS

Several of Buchanan’s poems became popular recitation items, among them ‘Phil Blood’s Leap’, ‘The Wedding of Shon Maclean’ and ‘The Lights of Leith’. However the following reviews are mainly of ‘Fra Giacomo’, with a single review of ‘The Ballad of Judas Iscariot’.

[Advert from The Times (28 March, 1878 - p.8)]

FRA GIACOMO

This early poem of Buchanan’s (available in the Poetry section) did have quite a varied life beyond the printed page. In 1913 there was a film adaptation and in 1914 Cecil Coles set the poem to music. Dramatised versions were also produced in America and England and it was a popular item for recitation.

The Stage (13 April, 1883 - p.9)

GAIETY

     On Monday afternoon, April 9, 1883, was produced a dramatic sketch in three tableaux, by Edward Rose, entitled:—

Vice Versâ; or, a Lesson to Fathers.

..... The first piece on the programme was Mr. Sydney Grundy’s excellent one-act play, In Honour Bound. This was represented by Mr. Edgar Bruce, Mr. Philip Beck, Miss Myra Holme, and Miss Stella Brereton. Mr. George Grossmith then gave an entertainment, Mr. H. Beerbohm-Tree recited a ghastly poem by Mr. Robert Buchanan, entitled “Friar Giachomo,” and Miss E. Farren sang, in costume, several verses of the popular song, “My Boy,” from Mr. Burnand’s burlesque of Blue-Beard.

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The New York Times (2 February, 1888)

MR. HILL’S MATINEE.

     Mr. J. M. Hill invited the Nineteenth Century Club and other friends of his to a pleasant entertainment at the Union-Square Theatre yesterday afternoon. The house was crowded; many popular actors were there, as well as manu prominent members of the club. Mr. Courtlandt Palmer made a speech; Mr.  Courtlandt Palmer, Jr., made his début as a pianist; Mr. Joseph Haworth and Miss Lillie Eldridge did the closet scene of “Hamlet;” Mr. Marshall wilder told how people make love in Newark, and was recalled to give his famous imitation of a telephone. There was vocal music provided by Miss Mary Dunn and Mr. George C. Hall; Miss Bertha Behrens played the violin and Mrs. Alice J. Shaw whistled. Miss Lelia Wolstran presented, in her inimitable way, that quaint combination of dance and speech called “the minuet.” To crown it all, there was Mr. Robert C. Hilliard as a Spanish nobleman in white silk tights to recite Mr. Robert Buchanan’s characteristic verses entitled “Fra Giacamo.” This was the most striking feature of the entertainment, for not only did Mr. Hilliard render the poem with fervor, but he was allowed to exhibit his ability as an actor as well, the characters of the murdered Countess, the false priest and the page being represented in dumb show by Miss Lulu Darling, Mr. Charles Kent, and Miss Marion Lee. Mr. Hilliard also read a Texas romance by Frank Duprez called “Lasca,” and this selection also had a unique charm of its own, for a musical accompaniment was furnished to the verses by Mr. C. P. Flockton, who played the zither as skillfully as he acts Daniel Robins in “Heart of Hearts” at the Madison-Square Theatre. Mr. Hill’s entertainment, therefore, was very successful.

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The Stage (7 February, 1890 - p.11)

GLASGOW.
(From our own Correspondent.)

     GRAND—The pantomime of Sinbad has now entered upon its last week, and Monday evening was devoted to the benefit of the Misses Alice and Harriett Brookes, respectively the Sinbad and Haidee of the cast. ..... Several special attractions were provided for the occasion. Miss Eva Bell sang, “Why don’t the girls propose?” with great success. Mr. Charles Hildesley, late principal tenor in the D’Oyly Carte Opera Co. was warmly encored for his spirited singing of “Let me like a soldier fall. “Mr. J. C. Macdonald was excruciatingly funny, and the audience would not rest satisfied until he had sung a second song. Miss Hettie Lund sang “The Garden of Sleep,” with admirable taste and expression, and was vary warmly applauded. The most remarkable performance was that given by Mr. Dickson Moffat, who did one of these exceptionally risky things, which are only excused by complete success. To hold a pantomime audience in the middle of the pantomime, spellbound for the space of twelve minutes, while he recited a poem so solemn and tragic as Robert Buchanan’s “Fra Giacomo,” is a tour de force which could only be attempted by an elocutionist of rare ability. The piece was entirely unannounced, and the audience were totally unprepared for it, but their attention was quickly riveted, and the splendid reading was followed with close attention to the close, when Mr. Moffat received an enthusiastic burst of applause, and an insistent encore, which, however, he did not take.

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The Stage (30 May, 1890 - p.13)

     PRINCE’S HALL.—On Tuesday afternoon last, May 27, Miss Amy Roselle and Mr. Arthur Dacre gave the second of their recitals at Prince’s Hall. We should have mentioned last week that for these recitals the hall is placed in semi-darkness—that is to say, the lights are turned down and the blinds and curtains pulled to, a footlight arrangement in front of the platform and two clusters of gas lights at the back concentrating all the rays upon the faces of the performers. ..... Mr. Dacre was, if anything, a little too vehement in Bret Harte’s “Caldwell of Springfield,” a thrilling episode taken from the “American War of Independence,” but played with biting irony and concentrated force as the husband, whose seeming saintly wife has been seduced by the wiles of Robert Buchanan’s “Fra Giacomo.” Mr. Cuthbert Clark, as before, acted as accompanist.

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The Stage (9 March, 1893 - p.13) 

STEINWAY HALL.

     Mr. Valentine Osborne’s fifth annual dramatic and musical recital, held here last Thursday evening, proved most successful, and was well attended. ..... During the evening Mr. Osborne gave a powerful recital of Robert Buchanan’s “Fra Giacomo,” and was heard to considerable advantage in “One More” (Overton), in which the varied phrases of the old salt’s narrative were cleverly contrasted. At the conclusion of this piece, in response to a determined demand for an encore, the reciter obliged with Tennyson’s “The Revenge,” delivered in excellent style.

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The New York Times (31 October, 1893)

“The Nominee” at the Bijou Theatre.

     Perhaps Robert Hilliard and Paul Arthur think “The Nominee” is too funny, and that the edge should be taken off by something serious. Therefore it was preceded at the Bijou Theatre last night by an adaptation by Mr. Hilliard of Robert Buchanan’s poem, “Fra Giacomo,” in which Mr. Hilliard acts and recites the poem, Theodore Babcock is the Friar, Olive May Pietro, and Emily Craig the poisoned Countess. “The Nominee,” Leander Richardson’s successful adaptation of “Le Depute de Bornbignac,” has all the “go” in it that it had when Mr. N. C. Goodwin drew crowds to laugh at, perhaps, more because Mr. Hilliard does not know the value of restraint. But if he is a boisterous Jack Medford, “wot’s the odds as long as we’re ’appy?” Everybody was happy last night, and it was a cordial audience Mr. Hilliard and Mr. Arthur faced. Associated with them are Mr. Babcock as Col. Murray; Walter B. Woodall as Vane, Miss May as Mrs. Medford, Jeanette Ferrill as her sister, Rose; Miss Estelle Mortimer as the mother-in-law, and Miss Ida Bell as the adventuress.

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The Stage (28 March, 1895 - p.9)

     LADBROKE HALL.—At the fourth of the Bayswater Subscription Concerts, which was given here on Thursday evening, March 21, in the presence of a large audience, there was a disappointment of some magnitude. Miss Esther Palliser, who was the most distinguished of the performers advertised, had so bad a cold that she was “quite unable to sing,” although she listened to the concert from the hall. ..... In his recital of Robert Buchanan’s rather hackneyed “Fra Giacomo,” Mr. Norman V. Norman acted dramatically, but took the piece in very slow time, and broke up the delivery of the verse far too much.

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The Stage (18 May, 1899 - p.17)

POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL OF ELOCUTION.

     Mr. and Mrs. Hasluck’s pupils have given as many as a hundred public recitals, and this circumstance was celebrated in a very agreeable manner at the Institute on Wednesday evening of last week. ..... Mr.  Charles E. Mooney was dramatically effective in Robert Buchanan’s “Fra Giacomo.”

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The Stage (21 August, 1902 - p.17)

     Mr. Philip Yorke has in preparation a new sketch based on Robert Buchanan’s “Fra Giacomo,” in which Mr. Bransby Williams will appear. A young lady represents a corpse in this.

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The Times (28 August, 1902 - p.8):

     THE TIVOLI.—Though a music-hall can reckon on a large selection of performers to choose from in this interval between the season of summer provincial “starring” and the Christmas pantomimes, and can command a large number of patrons, the management of the Tivoli have been enterprising enough to make a new departure this week in the sketch “Fra Giacomo.” This is a genuine attempt to provide something of a higher dramatic and literary character than is usually offered, or to be candid demanded. Mr. Robert Buchanan’s poem serves this purpose excellently, being short, well knit, and full of dramatic inspiration. Poetic merit is less conspicuous, nor in the circumstances is it so necessary, but several monologues and ballads, such as those of Rossetti, suggest themselves, which might be effectively dramatized in this way. Mr. Bransby Williams as the husband, though tending at times to err on the side of treating his lines as a mere recitation, gives a well-considered representation. If not quite rising to the purple patches of emotion, he prevents the more solid groundwork from being uninteresting. Mr. Charles Raymond, on the other hand, who plays the silent part of the monk, errs on the side of exaggeration, lacking the true touch of the pantomimist. As already suggested, there is no lack of material with which to follow up this innovation, and provided the pieces selected show emotional grip there is no reason why Mr. Williams should not make these artistic trifles as popular as he has already done his sketches from Dickens and Shakespeare. Other “turns” include Happy Fanny Fields, Miss Ray Wallace, a mimic of no mean ability, Little Tich, Mdlle. Diane de Fontenoy in a series of graceful tableaux entitled “Bijouterie Moderne,” Miss Vesta Tilley, and Mr. R. G. Knowles.

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The Stage (4 December, 1924 - p.18)

Mr. Owen Nares on Acting.
     Mr. Owen Nares gave some interesting advice to the students of the Leeds College of Music and Elocution on Saturday. After listening to a programme of music and recitations by the students of the college, he said: “If any of you have an idea of adopting the stage as a career, which Heaven forbid, you must have technique, but you must at the same time be natural. The best results may be clouded by technique. If you really are an artist, temperament will come to the top.” As an example of what he meant he instanced the work of Sir Gerald Du Maurier, who, said Mr. Nares, was probably the most natural artist we possessed to-day. Mr. Nares gave the students a sample of his versatility by reciting to them that fine dramatic piece, written by the late Robert Buchanan, entitled “Fra Jachimo.”

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THE BALLAD OF JUDAS ISCARIOT

Perhaps Buchanan’s most famous poem (available in the Poetry section), but rather too long to have achieved the same popularity as “Fra Giacomo” as a recital piece. It has been adapted and set to music on at least three occasions. The following is the only review I’ve come across of an actual performance of the poem.

The Stage (27 February, 1885 - p.13)

     I am glad to note that nearly £900 were subscribed in aid of the Dramatic and Musical Sick Fund at the dinner on Ash Wednesday. The “smoking concert” which followed the dinner was most enjoyable. The best feature of the entertainment was the recitation by Mr. E. S. Willard, of Robert Buchanan’s fine poem, “The Ballad of the Soul of Judas Iscariot.” It was a difficult task to attempt on such an occasion, but Mr. Willard thrilled his audience, and completely took the wind out of the sails of those who followed him on the platform. Mr. Hermann Vezin recited “The Spanish Mother;” Mr. Walter Speakman gave the Ingoldsby legend, “The Execution,” with ease and power; Mr. E. J. Odell delivered a quaint parody of “Eugene Aram;” and Mr. Brandon Thomas recited “Over the Hills from the Poorhouse.” Mr. Charles Warner, Mr. J. Maclean, Mr. Furneaux Cook, and Mr. H. Walsham were also heard to advantage in recitation and song. Songs were also furnished by Mr. George Grossmith, Mr. Walter Bolton, Mr. George Barrett, and Mr. Walter Clifford. During dinner Miss Constance Loseby charmed all hearers by her sympathetic singing. Miss Lucy Franklein and Miss Camille d’Arville also obliged with songs. Altogether, a most enjoyable evening was spent, but the questionable song given by the “Great” Vance was decidedly out of place, and had an unpleasant effect upon the hearers. Mr. Vance may be in his element in a music-hall, but that fact is no qualification for the introduction of his songs to a miscellaneous after-dinner audience.

[A programme featuring a performance of ‘Phil Blood’s Leap’ at a meeting of the
Leonia Literary League, published in Leonia by Carol Karels.]

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