THE TOWN HALL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1904, Page 6

THE TOWN HALL.

TO-MORROW'S OPENING CEREMONY. To-morrow afternoon the Town Hall will be opened by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, M.H.R.) with much ceremony. The invitations issued by the City Council for the ceremony ensure an attendance that will tax the seating accommodation of the commodious hall. The ceremonial portion of the proceedings will begin at 2.30 o'clock in front of the new buildings in Lower Cuba-street. At the mam door the Mayor will be received by the Council, and Councillor John Smith, senior member, will hand to his Worship the handsome gold and greenstone key presented to the Council by Mr. Frank Grady. The Mayor will then formally open the building, and the Council's guests will proceed to their seats in the Town Hall. The orchestra of the Musical Union, under the baton of Mr. Robert Parker, will play Elgar's Imperial March, after which the Mayor will address the assemblage and declare the Town Hall formally opened. The singing of the National. Antiiem by the Musical Union will follow, the solo being sung by Mrs. W. F. Parsons, who for many years has been so closely identified with musical mutters in the city. The final it-em on the afternoon's programme will be the production of Mendelssohn's "Lobgesang" (Hymn of Praise), a delightful and appropriate musical morceau. The full strength of the Musical Union's chorus and orclies.tra. (350 performers) will interpret the Hymn of Praise, the soloists being Miss Phoebe Parsons and' Mr. E. J. Hill, with Herr Max Hoppe as leader of the orchestra, Mr. F. W. Rowley at the pipe organ specially constructed for the occasion, and Mr. R. Parker as conductor. After the rendering of "The Lobgesang," the building will be inspected by the guests, who will then be entertained at afternoon tea in various rooms throughout the building. In the evening there is to be a concert, and the Mayor will again make a speech appropriate to the occasion. A very large attendance is expected in the evening, and the doors are to be opened at 7.45 o'clock. The musical programme, which is of a most interesting character, was prepared by Mr. Maugh«n Barnect. In the first part a chorus of 100 mule voices is to render a part-song, "The Triumph of Music," written and composed by Messrs. J. Liddell Kelly and Jtaughan Bamett for the occasion, Mrs. Glover-Eaton and Miss Lloyd Hassell are to sing, Mr. Cyril Towsey (piano) and Herr Max Hoppe (violin) are to play, and Mr. Bamett will also play a pianoforte selection. The second part opens with another original part-song for male voices, "Aotearoa," written and compo&ed by Messrs. S. Clarke Johnson and M. Bamett; and Mrs. Glover-Eaton, Miss Hassell, Herr Hoppe, and M. Barnett will again contribiite to the programme as soloists. On Thursday night there is to be a children's inuskal carnival, when a large choir of picked vocalists from the public schools of the city and suburbs wiH render popular and patriotic airs. The soloists for this occasion will be Miss Pulsfard and' Messrs. Philip Palmer, Thos. Pringle, and F. V. Waters. At their rehearsal yesterday afternoon the children, who are under the baton of Mr. R. Parker, after undergoing much practice at the hands of their respective teachers at s<chool, gave promise of a most successful performance. A second concert is to be given by the children next Saturday night. A charge is to be made for both these concerts. "Enquirer" writes asking "whether two ladies would be admitted to the concert held in the Town Hall on a ticket really meant for a lady and gentleman." The Town Clerk's reply to this query is that tickets are not transferable. This means that a ticket issued to Mr. and Mrs. Soanso cannot be used by the two Misses Soanso.

A particularly clever safe robbery, evidently the work of an expert cracksman, was effected between Saturday night and Monday morning, at the auctioneering premises of Messrs. Sidey, Meech and Co., next to the Te Aro branch of the Bank of New Zealand. Entrance was made by way of the backyard, through a back window, the catch of which was forced. The operator, with accurate knowledge of his business, bored a hole through the safe door and right on to the check-lock. He was thus able to break the lock by the insertion of a lever, without having to resort to explosives. The door then opened easily, and the thief or thieves got away with about £10 in cash, some valuable jewellery, and some cheques, of which latter payment has, of course, been stopped. A number of watclfes were left behind. The firm estimates its loss at about £40. The safe is badly damaged, and the cashbox looks as if it had been opened with a pick-axe or hit with a breech-block. To-morrow, at 2 o'clook, Messrs. W. H. Morrah and Co. will sell in their rooms, Willis-street, furniture, mirrors, pictures, etc., and on Thursday, at 2 o'clock, the firm wiH sell on account of Mr. M. Green, at 90, Constable-street, tho whole *of his household furniture, piano, etc., tho contents of a six-roomed house. Messrs. Warnock and Adkin are showing a big lot of blouses, aprons, umbrellas, and gloves, etc., particulars of which are advertised. Mr. Geo. A. Mawson, of Cuba-street, advertises "superior Christmas cakes at prices -to suit all."