Otauau Public School

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 35, 26 December 1905, Page 2

Otauau Public School

ANNUAL CONCERT. This year's concert by the pupils of the school more than maintained the reputation gained at previous concerts. For months the children have been coached m the numerous action songs, by the teachers, and the fruit of such teaching was tasted by the audience, which packed the Town Hall to standing room on Wednesday evening last. These concerts are now looked forward to not only by the children but by the whole community, and are also looked upon as one of the yearly fixtures of local importance. Theyform the basis from which is derived the sinews of war for carrying out improvements, both useful and ornamental on the school property. The school committee, elected yearly, may be credited with oarrying out the improvements; but, behind the committee, the pupils,trained by their, teachers, are the primal instruments ensuring the means for carrying out such improvements. Not only the oommittee, but the entire community, is indebted to the per, formers for the very welcome aid rendered to the sohool funds by this means. With the proceeds of this concert supplsraenting fche cash already, raised, subsidised by the Education Board's errant, the committee will now be m a position to fairly carry out the improvements to the grounds long contemplated and . partially effected, and this m a most thorough manner, if they are successful m enlisting the help'for another day's gravelling, of a number of teams similar to those which helped last siimnaetn Wednesday's concert was presided over by Mr Scatter, chairman of tbe sohool coramibtee, and was a success from ettirt to finish. The first part of the programme was furnished entirely by the pupils, and every item met with vociferous and well merited applause. The concert was opened by the singing of the New Zealand National Anthem by | the senior girls. The ohildrens' pro-' 1 gramme consisted of 16 items, arranged I so that every scholar from tbe infant [department to Standard VII, could take part and so arranged that each division came* on m rotation, and thus no undue strain was put on any one i section of the 1 performers. The most mirth provoking items were those given by the junior boys, who were all dressed as little niggers, and. with their blackened faces, caused roars of laughter, hilarity reaching its climax when •♦ The Man m the Moon winked his eye at the Coon," and when the little niggers "guessed de banjo topped de heap with his pinka pinka ; ppng." Equally pleasant were the impressions created by the junior girls, the little tots of the school, who looked very bonny and sweet, and carried through their part of the programme with a due sense of the importance Of their office. As '-dressmakers / they advertised the business well, and as « 'flower sellers " could have induced the whole audienoe to buy. When they appeared as " sea fairies" everybody wanted to be, sailors, and when they came on m red, white and blue, eyerybod.y'B ehegt swelled

with pride tffc being a Britisher, They wound up ihfiiv part with a sweet " good-bye/ The senior girls gave probably the naosfc finished perform* ,. ance, many of them giving prpmise of developing into high Vslass singers, and appropriately commenced their duties with <".the singing lesson." In this the class were under the direction of one of the most diminutive of the seniors, who showed, as the schoolmistress, that her eyes had not been closed to the mejbhods adopted by that important branch m our educational accadetaies « The Invalid Dolly" was well attended by the same girls, and quickly restored to good health, and, .. as " ten little mothers," they showed that they knew how to keep the mem. bers of their family m order. Fathers and brothers had evidently had a busy time building milking stools, judging by the number brought on the stage when the girls appeared as " milk- . maids." The senior pupils, both boys and girls, contributed '* Trelawney," " School Brigade," " Merrily o'er the waves," and "Football," and put an - amount of energy into fcneir performance which resulted m ft gpod volume of harmony and sounds, The second , part of tha performance, alter inoh «y long programme by the pupils, nans» ally had to be kept short. Each item m it was a success* and met with approbation. Miss Julia Sweetman was particularly successful m her gong, " Sing me to sleep." Miss Jen* kins also greatly pleased the audience , with a very sweet song, and MrSwhan and Mr Sheargold were equally successful, and helped m no small degree to oomplete a very successful concert. To the children, Miss Rowe and Miss, Lloyd acted as efficient accompanists, and to the seniors, Mrs MoLaren acted m a similar capacity. After the con? cert the hall was cleared for dancing.