SOCIAL JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 9 March 1923, Page 9

SOCIAL JOTTINGS.

Miss Jean Buckleton, of Wellington, has left for a visit to Sydney.

Dr. and Mrs. Parker, who have been visiting Blenheim, are paying a visit to Christchurch.

Miss Jooelyn Pynp, of Christchurch, has as her guest Miss Kitty Hewitt, of Auckland.

Miss Estelle Nolan, of Retnuera, Auckland, who has been in France for the past year, is coming back to London this month.

Mr. Janicß Skinner, of Dunedin, is visiting Auckland, and staying with his daughter, Mrs. Cyril Hughes, Sarawai Street. Parne 11.

Sir Westley Porcival, writes our London correspondent, has broken a blood vessel. He is at his Surrey home, Southdown, Wimbledon.

Miss Barwell and Miss Way, who have been in London for some months, left for their borne, Hamilton, Waikato, by the Orient liner Ormonde on January 6.

Mrs. Knutsford, Auckland, who has been visiting her brother, Sir William Elliott Johpson, Melbourne, is on brief visit to Wellington before returning home.

Mrs. A. D. Keeling, of Auckland, who spent seven years in Samoa, will be leaving for New Plymouth next Thursday. Mr. Keeling has been appointed manager of the Bank of New Zealand in that town.

Mr. F. Bostock, states the "Dominion," managing director of the well-known Northampton (England) boot manufacturing firm of that name, with Mra. Bostock, Mrs. Slater, and Miss Corrlgan, are touring the Dominion.

Mrs. W. Australia Graham and her eon, Dr. Graham, of Hamilton, Waikato, are in Edinburgh, where they expect to stay until the end of January. They spent Christmas with friends at Skelmorlie, Wemyss Bay, on the Firth of Clyde.

The Victoria League held one of its pleasant "At Homes" recently in London at its headquarters, 22, Eccleton Square. Among those present were the Dowager Countess of Jersey, the Dowager Lady Lecontield, Lady Goold Adams, Sir Bartlo and Mi»s Frere, Mrs. and Miss Balfour, Mr. and Mrs. and Miss Sargood, Mies Stella Murray, Miss A. Pope, Mrs. Gore Newell, Miss Ann Williams, Mrs. Knowles. Miller, Miss Curnow and Mra, Owen Pixon.

There was a happy gathering at the offices of the Auckland Education Board yesterday morning, when the ladies of the staff gave a morning tea .of coni gratulation and farewell to three of their comrades who' are leaving to be married. The three guests were Miss McKee, who hap been "in. the service of the board for twenty-one years, Miss Morgan, and Miss Whiteley. The pretty decorations .of the tearoom included symbols appropriate to the occasion. LUNCHEOH TAL*. The first luncheon talk of the year arranged by the Auckland Women's CJub took place yesterday, when Professor I Johnson was the guest ef honour, *nd was introduced by Miss Melville, president. Professor Johnson, who is a charming and amusing speaker, chose for his subject "Folk Music," and delighted the members by his entertaining manner of dealing,with a little understood subject. Folk music, he explained, was not to be looked upon as a musical study; formerly it had been the pursuit of persons who were not trained musicians but quite recently scientists had taken the subject up from the standpoint of ethnology, which was the study of the customs of primitive peoples. The speaker took for his points the origin, the structure of. folk mueic, and epoko of the value for purely human enjoyment to be got from this form of music. The speaker amusedly described the efforts of a, collector of folk .nongs, who with great tact approached an old woman of-the West of Kerry, Ireland, and eventually got her to sing, him some of the old local tmllads, which proved to 'he, when considered, a variation of that well-Known classic of some years ago, '"A Bicycle Bujlt For Two," and her next was a local edition of ' Balfe's "Killarney." What we call folk music to-day «'as the amusement and relaxation of the people of the middle ages, of the fifteenth century and. a little later. The higher classes attained better musical training and grew away from the people's songs, which were retained amongst tjie commoner fejk. What were once court dances in the time of Elizabeth we're found at the present day in the form of nursery games, such as musjcal chairs, and the cushion dance. Hunt the clipper, a game we]l Known to children, was "a court dance at the time of Elizabeth. Professor Johnson explained that in. very early music the primitive scale had the fourth and the sixth absent, and most of the pathetic music of the highlands is built on this scale. It was discovered when the missionaries and others collected the nat|ye music of .China tjjat it was built on the same scale, and the speaker explained how human speech under emotion became a form, of musical notation, as there was some form of this primitive scale in the human voice, but that*the other intervals arrived with musical instruments, when modern raiisie began in the sixteenth, century. Professor John, son gave a demonstration at the piano of some forms of folk songs. At the conclusion he was thanked on behalf of the club members by Miss Melville, who occupied the chair. WAIKATO jrOTXS, Mr. and Mrs. Smith have returned from a holiday; Mrs. Ewen has returned I from Wanganui; Miss Wallnutt ha* spent a few days in Auckland; 'Mrs. S. Riley sailed by the Remuera on Thursday for England; Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Stevens have been spending a holiday in Rotorua; Mice E. M. Roth Well has gone on a visit to Dr. and Mrs. Cronin at Whakatane. A musical "at home" was given by Mrs. A. W. Green at Ruakura on Wednesday afternoon. Solos were given by Mesdames . Ovendon, Lonedale and McKinnon, monologues by Mesdames I. Bullock, Martyn-Williajn*, and recitations by Meedames, A. W. Green, I. B. Dillecar. The instrumentalists were: i Mesdames. Snodgrass, H. A. Young, H. C. Ross and A. Lonsdale. Mrs. Green wore to receive her guests a frock of nigger brocaded satin. Amongst those present were: Mesdanjes I. Edgecumbe, R. B. Cranwell, D. G. Meredith, H. A, Young, A. Lonedale, M*rtyn,-WUlian!9, »• C. Ross, J. A. Young, A. H. EHicott, I. B. Dillicar, A. Bell, A- 8 v - Cbllier, W R. Free, F. G- Cowper, F. 3uHock, J i|cKinnon and MUwi Row and E, BelL

Th c members of the Whitiora Croquet Club gave a farewell afternoon to Mrs. D. McGregor. A delightful time waa spent with progressive croquet, which was won for the A section hy Mrs. J. X. Irvine, and for the B section by Mesdames Hamliii and Benton, a tic. After afternoon tea was served, Mrs. Jenkin, president of the club, spoke on behalf of the members and asked Mrs. McGregor to accept a handsome fountain pen as a small token of their good wishes. Mre. McGregor returned thanks. Musical honours were accorded the recipient, after which play was resumed. Amongst those present were: Mesdames Andrews, Prenton, H. B. Jenkin, Newson, Hamlin, Irvine, Hodgkinson, Webb, McGregor, Gough, Earnehaw, Robson, Comer, Benton, Bennett, Evans and Miss Mathieson. ROTORUA NOTES.

Mise Swaneton leaves Rotorna this week on a six weeks' holiday to Auckland.

Misses Eastdown, who have been spending a holiday at Brent's "Bathgate House," Rotorua, returned to Auckland on Saturday.

Miss Lorna Dick, who has been the guest of Mrs. W. G. K. Kenrick, Pukuatua Street, Rotorua, has returned to Dunedin.

Mr. and Mrs. \V. A. Carter, Haupapa Street, Rotorua, are on a visit to Auckland and the Thames.

Mies M. Wallers, who has been on a visit to Tauranga, has returned to Rotorua.

Mrs. and Miss Sledge, of Sydney, who have been on an extended visit to Rotorua, left on Tuesday for Auckland, where they will catch the steamer for Sydney. Mrs. J. D. Davys, Pukuatua Street, Rotorua, has gone, to Auckland to bid good-bye to her mother and sister, Mrs. and Miss Sledge, who leave by the Marama for Sydney on Friday.

Miss A. Ronayne, who has been visiting Rotorua, left for Auckland on Saturday.

Mrs. Blencoe, Rotorua, is on a visit to Pongakawa, and will be absent a fortnight.

An enjoyable little dance, a farewell, was given by the senior staff of King George V. Hospital, Rotorua, in the Bed Cross lounge, to Dr. and Mrs. M. M. Hockin, who are leaving Rotorua to take up their residence in Hamilton. The guests were received by Miss Hodges, matron of the hospital. Among those present were Dr. and Mrs. Hockin, Dr. and Mrs. Hay, Dr. Wallis, Dr. and Mrs. Lumsden, Mrs. Edwin Robertson, Mrs. W. W. P. Hall, Misses Hall, Goudie, Sledge, Hodges, Cameron, V. St. Clair, Harris, and members of the hospital staff.

Among the guests staying at "Grande Vue" Rotorua, are: Dr. and Mrs. Goodhue (England), Mr. and Mrs. Conaghy, : Dr. and Mrs. Danes, Mr. and Mrs. Dacres, Mrs. Beveridge, Mrs- Leggett, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Mack, Mrs. De Audrey. Among the guests staying at "Hinemoa," Rotorua, are: Professor Eastiield (Nelson), Mr. and Mrs. Hyller (Sydney), Mr. and Mrs. Charles (Melbourne), Mrs. Falconer, Miss Milne, Miss Cooper (Scotland), Mr., Mrs. and Miss Cullen (Thames). ' . . .