A RECORD BREAKER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2394, 8 January 1909, Page 9 (Supplement)

A RECORD BREAKER.

PLAYING THE PIANO

FIFTY-TWO HOURS AT THE kgSYS.

At 11.15 on Noav Year’s Eve. in tho Koval Albert Hall. Auckland, Mr. Charles Parnell, of Sydney, .succeeded in beating tho performance of Mr. Harry Freeman in continuous pianonluying —-51 hours 10 minutes. Mr. Karneii, who had on a previous, occasion played for 38. hours continuously, commenced his self-imposed task at eight o’clock on Tuesciay night, -bin cling himself to play f roTn memory, and to avoid repetition as far as possible. Having an extensive repertoire, numbering many hundred pieces, he had no difficulty in this respect, and at one time would be playing grand oiicra, at another- coon sows, and at others dunce music, martial airs, and accompaniments to ballads. , At eight o’clock on Thursday night, v'hen the 48 hours had been comp eted, Mr. Parnell ivas in splendid Vettic, and ivas playing ivitli an accuracy and expression ivhich satisfied the most exacting. From that hour onwards the record-breaker, ivas watched Avith" the keenest interest by the large audience which had assembled. He first played the accompaniments for tlie biographic pictures, and ivhen these ivere finished he played well-known airs, which ivere sung by the audience, and also the. accompaniments to solos sung by the members of the theatrical profession who were in attendance. At 11.15, when Mr. Parnell had* been playing without a break for ol hours 15 minutes, and thus beaten the record I>a- four minutes, lie was loudly cheered, but the enthusiasm was still greater when it ivas annon need tluvt ho had decided to play the old year out and the neiv year in. This-lie did in excellent style, and, judging by his appearance, ho could, had he so desired, gone on for several hours longer. The last piece he played Ai-as the “Marche Hongroise,” a piece presenting seme difficulties, but it had no terrors for him. Cheers wore given for him, and the crowd san tr “For He’s a Jolly-Good bellow.” Mr. Parnell suitably replied. lii conversation with an Auckland “Herald” representative prior to finishing his task, Mr. Parnell stated that at that moment he ivas not lectin g overstrained in the least, but lie exnected a -reaction ivould set in afterwards. “You see,’L ho said, i have been training myself for this for the past six ii'eeks. I have been punching tho ball, club swinging, and doing various kinds of tilings to get myself in trim, and you see 1 have succeeded, though I have been suffering from a cold for several days, anti it has given mo some trouble, ion can tell the, public that, I am quite capable of playing for 70 hours when I wish to.” . , A specially 'appointed committee kept Av-atch throughout- the performance, and everything possible; was done for tho player’s comfort. Including the three-quarters of an hour till midnight, and one minute winch he played after that time, Mr. Parnell played continuously for o2 hours one minute, and during this period lie states that he played something exceeding 1500 separate horns.