CANTERBURY WOMEN'S CLUB

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21146, 23 April 1934, Page 2

CANTERBURY WOMEN'S CLUB

ADDRESS BY MISS G. M. GLANVILLE

A talk on Shakespeare, illustrator; by recitations and songs from the plays, was given by Miss G. M. Glanville. director of the literary circle of. the Canterbury Women's Club, at the club rooms on Saturday night. The speaker «ave a description of the early life of Shakespeare, of his boyhood at Stralford-on-Avon, of his early manhood of the country in Warwickshire' mentioning that at Kenilworth, 13 miles away from Stratford, he no doubt received his first impressions of the sweet frivolities which afterwards became "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when Leicester kept court there for Elizabeth. Speaking of the doubts as to the authorship of the plays, Miss Glanville said that it had been urged that the author could not have had the intimate knowledge of the law and other high matters of State, and therefore probablv Bacon or the Earl of Oxford had written the plays. But no one had urged that a woman perhaps wrote them, though for a man, his insijjht into the character of the different women he portrayed was marvellous. The speaker described the early acting of Shakespeare's plays, iirslin the courtyards of the inns, notably at Southwark, and later in the Globe, with its roofless accommodation, and comparing it with the wonderful performances to-day at the Old Vic. and Sadlers Wells, when in the season thousands weekly listen to the same Shakespeare, to say nothing of the thousands that throng to the great memorial theatre at Stratford or liscn nightly to the out-cf-door plays at Regent's Park. As, in the earliest performances in the inn yards, the stage ran right out among the groundlings who paid Id only, the soliloquies which some consider tedious were really spoken in the midst of the audience to which they were addressed, and had none of the "talking to one's self" dreariness. Every minute of them was of great interest. The Programme Illustratin.? Miss Glanvillo's address, Miss Sally Wynn-Williams and Miss Joan Preston acted the scene between Calpurnia and Cresar, Miss Janet Williams and Miss Joan Anderson presented Portia's entreaty to Brutus, Miss Marie Donaldson recited Mark Antony's speech over the body of Caesar, and Miss Joan Anderson that of Brutus in the same scene. Scenes from Henry VIII. were well acted by Misses M. Donaldson (Catherine). Joan Preston iWolsey), and Joan Anderson (Cromwell).

An excellent musical programme was given a H follows: Piano solos. "Scherzo in C Sharp Minor" (ChopinL and •'Prelude in G Sharp Minor" (Rachmaninoff*. Mr Noel Newson; songs, "Sigh No More, Ladies." from "Much Ado About Nothing," Mrs Alister Oakley: "Blow. Blow, Thou Winder Wind." from "As You Like It." Mr Leslie Dangerfield; "Where the Bee Sucks," from "The Tempest." Misses Nessie Harrison, Tiria Trent, and Grace Mackenzie; "Hark. Hark! the Lark, from "Cvmbeline," Allan Alleyne and Ray Bell: "Orpheus With his Lute." Miss Nessie Harrison; "Who is Sylvia?" from "Two Gentlemen of Verona," W. Olds, Allan Alleyne, Allan Read, Ken Burt, W. Fox. Robert Push, boys of Standard IV.. St. Albans School, trained by Mr Snack-. Miss Millicent Jennings played all the accompaniments and helped greatly with the musical programme. She also played for Miss Rhona Vaughan. who gave great pleasure with her dancing. DANCE AND CARD PARTY AT RIRWOOD A successful dance and card party were held in the Burwood parish hall on Saturday evening, under the auspices of the Burwood sub-branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association. The dance hall was effectively decorate 1 with streamers and red poppies, j There was a large attendance. The Erica band played the music, and extras were given by Mrs J. Southward. Mr J. D. McKcchnic was master of ceremonies. The committee 'responsible for the arrangements was Messrs J. A. Wright (chairman), T. 11. Turner, J. D. McKcchnic, R. G. Lindsay, J. Allsford, R. Edward, and F. W. Cullimorc, Mcsdames J. A. Wright, T. H. Turner, It. G. Lindsay, J. Allsford, J. D. McKcchnic, R. Edwards, and F. W. Cullimore. The lucky spot dance was won by Miss Murphy and Mr L. Doherty, and the winners of the Monte Carlo dance were Mrs Neal and partner. A competition was won by Mr T. Lear. The winners at cards were Mr and Mrs J. Weathcrall. Among those present were Mesdames Millar, Lindsay, Smith, Liggins, Weathcrall, Nankivel), Reaby, Clark, Goodman, Falls, Dcvonport, Southward, Parks, Judd, L. A. Wetherall. Horwell, and Neal: Misses Gladys Wetherall, Eileen Higham, Josephine Liggins, Velia Rcaby, S. Driver, Dorccn Murphy, Mary Nuttall, A. Parks. D. Judd, L. Wetherall, Dorothy Stackhouse. Sybil Dcvonport, Phillis Goodman, Adeline Preston, Adelaide Barnes, Noeline Marriott. Kathleen McKcchnic, L. Stevenson, R. Liggins, F. Howell, J. Thomson, W. Burns, and D. FaliaMessrs J. Wright. F. Ready, H. Rcaby! S. Goodman, J. Green, J. Murphy R* W. Rathic, N. Dcvonport, R. J. Lindsay F. Wetherall. Miller, Nankervilfc! Smith. Higham, Clark, Cullen Doherty, Neal, Cullimore, T. Lean J D ; McKcchnic, and J. Southward." \ SALE OF WORK The minister of the church, the Rev. J. A. Allan, opened the sale of work held on Saturday to raise funds to paint and repair the Sunday school i hall of St. Ninian's Presbyterian i Church, Riccarton. j The stalls and also the side-shows, | arranged by the members of the Young Men's Bible Class, were well supi ported. : The stallholders were as follows: ! Produce, Messrs H. Dowling and L. Wilson; flowers. Mesdames J. Reid, F. J. B. Murray, and Miss A. Mac Gibbon; sewing, Mesdames J. Askew and J. Barber, and busy bees, under the supervision of Miss Washburn; ice cream, Mrs M. Lake and Miss I. Doig; sweets, Mrs J. A. Allan and members of the Young Women's Bible Classes; cakes, Mesdames H. McLeod, D. Swanston, and C. Mauger; afternoon tea, Mesdames G. Fergusson, A. Doig, I. H. Heyward, T. A. Mac Gibbon, and Miss Rainey.

Have you anything to sell—Do you wish to buy? If so, a small advertisement in the classified section of "The Press" will be all you need. 12 words Is, three insertions