TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILDS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28906, 28 May 1959, Page 2

TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILDS

Annual Choral Festival

The Christchurch Area Federation of Townswomen’s Guilds presented its annual choral festival to a capacity audience in the Jellicoe hall last evening. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning) and Mrs Manning were present. Mrs Manning was presented with a spray of flowers by Mrs F. Milne from the Christchurch Area Federation.

Mrs G. A. C. Plumridge, Dominion president, opened the festival. She said that the 18 guilds in Christchurch all had chons and were upholding their aims by bringing the culture of singing to the guilds. She spoke for the Dominion Federation in wishing the Christchurch federation a successful festival. » The following Townswomen’s puijds ;choirs took part:—St. Martin’s - (accompanist, Isabelle

Roberts), Shirley (conductor. Pearl Frederic; (accompanist, Ethel Thomas). Spreydon HoonHay (conductor, Edith Taylor; accompanist. Winifred Harding*. Beckenham (conductor, Phyllis Allison; accompanist, Winifred Richards). Linwood (conductor. Nora Rodgers: accompanist, Beth Hodgson), Christchurch North (accompanist. Alice Stubberfield* and Somerfield (conductor. Myra Thomson; accompanist. Bessie Pollard).

Mr John Ritchie, guest conductor for the festival, appraised the performance of each group and conducted the massed choirs in the last bracket: “Song for a Festival,’’ by Geo. Dyson, and “God Defend New Zealand.”