A TYKE HEARS "THE MESSIAH."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

A TYKE HEARS "THE MESSIAH."

A Yorkshireman asked a chum if he intended to hear the oratorio "The Messiah," announced for performance. "'Messiah'* Nooa," he replied. "'Messiah's' not for onybody t'likes of us; it's for big folks.'' "Get out! It's for anybody as likes to go if they pay." "Well, I'm not going, and if tha goes ; tha'U not understand what it's about." i "Well, 111 tell the better about that when I've bin." ' Whether Tyke Xo. 1 understood or appreciated the great musical work may be gathered from the description he gave , to Tyke Xo. 2 the next evening. "Well, tha knows, when I go( there j t'place wasn't as full as I thout it would! be wi' great folks, and I soon got a seat. I hadn't been there long when a lot o' chaps came on t'platform. Some on 'm J had fiddles, or violins, as I heard a chap near me call 'in. I know they made a ' violint row and kept scrapin' ogen t'other to see which could make t'biggest row. One fellow had a great big fiddle, an' he rubbed a stick across him, an' he did roar out. Then he took hold I of him by th'earhole an' twisted it while it cracked again. After he'd gen him two or three rubs wi' t'stick he quiet-1 ened down a bit. Then some fine young ladies came on an* sat down in rows, an' looked at us. Some men followed an' sat behind them. Some o* t'chaps at top looked vexed because they couldn't sit near t'fine ladies. Then a little chap with a stick in his hand an' a coat that hadn't any sides came on an' laughed at us, an' made his bow. H» got on a lox an* began waving his stick about, an' his hands as well, an' then they began to fiddle, an' faster his arms worked an' louder they all played, till they wer tired out, an' then they stopped. After a bit of rest first one on 'em got up an' then another, and sang suinmat by theirselves, an' then we all clapped. Sometimes all t'lot got up, an' t'men tried to shout harder than t'women. Once some 'em said he were t'king o' glory, and then t'women said same, an' they all began to go faster an' faster, an' fchap wi' t'stick had sumtuat to do to settle 'em. Well, they kept stopping an' starting again for ever so long, and then all at once they set up such a shout like, 'all lulu yah.' They got mixed up altogether, an' all t'folks P t'place jumped up to see what wor t'matter, an' as it looked like being a row I came out an' left t'chap wi' stick to settle it."