EUROPEAN HOSPITALITY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 164, 6 April 1940, Page 6

EUROPEAN HOSPITALITY

A Musical Tour Described

At Pioneer Club

The flower decorations at the Pioneer Club were particularly lovely yesterday, when members attended the monthly open afternoon. European hospitality and (experiences while there on tour witli an English choir, were described by the speaker for the afternoon. Miss Hilda Chudley. Mrs. R. B. Gibbons, a vice-president, welcomed those present, including several new members.

Miss Chudley, recently returned to Wellington after six years abroad. As one of the 36 members of the famous Fleet Street Choir in London, Miss Chudley said, she toured Europe before the war broke out. Everywhere the greatest, kindness and hospitality were shown the party, who were always enthusiastically received, specially after a concert. The music-loving populace in many 1 countries, including Rumania and Bulgaria, would crowd before the stage at the end of a performance, admiring and applauding the singers with an enthusiasm that was almost embarrassing. .Some would wait for them outside and present little gifts of flowers, embroidered handkerchiefs and caskets of spice. One of the most colourful incidents in the tour, the speaker said, was when the choir sang before Klug Carol of Rumania, in the Royal Palace. After a rehearsal the previous day in the throne room, where the concert was given, the English singers assembled before the King and his court for the performance. The scene was one of great, colour and beauty, Miss Chudley said. The King wore plain evening clothes, but men of the court were in magnificent gold-decorated uniforms, cardinals and other dignitaries being resplendent in richly-hued robes. The women wore evening gowns and magnificent jewels. After the concert, King Carol invited the party to supper with the court.

Enthusiastic Welcome. The journey to Bulgaria was accomplished with great discomfort, she said. It was winter and the very old railway carriages in which they travelled were overheated and full of smoke, which crept in continuously. 'The journey lasted from 6.30 in the morning till midnight, but nevertheless a crowd of 600 people were at the station to meet them and greeted them with national songs and "God Save the King”—sung in English. In Poland, people could not believe how the English party were always so cheerful, as they were oppressed with the fear of war, which they knew would come. Cracow, then, was a lovely place, Miss Chudley said, the lovely medieval streets having to be seen to be believed. She visited a salt mine there, where miners had hewn, out of the rough salt, a wonderful underground cathedral, the polished hard salt of which it was made shining like crystal. The altar and candelabra were of salt, and a famous sculptor,, who was also a miner, had carved plaques . for the walls. Religious statues were often finished with wonderful lalique work. Mrs. Howard, who was in England after war came, told of her work in evacuating children as a member of the Women’s Voluntary Service. When trainloads of evacuated children reached.their destination in the country, she said, buses would be waiting and rations provided for 48 hours for each adult, a trainload of 300 taking only a quarter of an hour to deal with, so efficient was the organization. In her opinion many'children would not want to go home when the time came, as’country life, with its fresh air and sunshine, appealed very much, once the young people became used to their new “homes.”

Mrs. Gibbons, on behalf of members, thanked the speakers for their addresses. She presented new members, Mrs. Barton Ginger, Miss Helen Batham, Miss M. Greenwood, and Mrs. E. C. Adams, who had recently returned from Australia. Afternoon tea was served later.