Choral Honours to the Departed.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4324, 25 March 1884, Page 2

Choral Honours to the Departed.

(To the Kditor.)

SiK,-On the 8-th inst, oneof our most cultural professional vccalists, wliobo cifU and character had won i a large circlo of friends and aamirors, passed prematurely from pur nHttw.. I refer to tho 1 ate Mr Rhodos. His funeral, at _ tended by ovnry mark of sorrow and respect, took placo on. Tuesday, the 9th. The Choial Society reserved its "In Memoriam for tne united rohears.il, held on Tuoeday last, the 18th. IwouldrrjspeotfullyasktheCoramitteoif it would not bo possible to throw a little mote earnestness and : bettor arrangement into tno Society's expression of regard to a deceased member ? A-ppai ;ently no one outside the orchestral band had tho slightest expect^ tion that tho reliowßul would bo preceded by " Chopin's Fun eral March," in memory ot tholateMrHhodea.. NothinK of the kind was, I believe, advertised, 'mrt a word of intimation was uttered by the Uilfnted conductor, but bom tho choir and the sea ttfi'ed audience in the hail were lclt to infer (us'inc doubt many oia) that tho band was playiiig the overture in me Hymn of Praise." Its is a mistnko to Bupposo that "Chopin's March" is generally known, but it is a still mteatnr to allow Its performance, as on T nesdtiy night, unprefaced by any allusion to i tho departed, or by any intimation whateveir. Why should not the mombera of the eh( fir bo requested to stand up during the perform tanoo, and present at leasi some appearance o;f rospeot to the memory or one whose form and i voice ha<l become familiar and welcome? A few words from tho conductor, or better still, froir 4 the president or one of the vice-presidents, (al iluding to tho ioss sustained by the Society, an ja requesting the members to join with all since rity in such an expression in tho spirit of Cho' >in's pathetic " March, would have secured a i ar more dignified appearanco and a more wortl iy tribute then wore presented on Tuesday evoni jng last.—l am., &c., A MKMBI Eft OF TUB CIIOBAL SOCIBTT, ' March 23,1851. I