COMMUNITY SINGING

Evening Star, Issue 18031, 27 July 1922, Page 4

COMMUNITY SINGING

“ LITTLE HERMIE ” LEADS. Mr George Ward and Mr Charles Sherman, of Fullers’ American Revue Company, took a hand in sowing the “ cheer germ ” at mid-day to-day. Where these two are gloom cannot exist, so that tire community sing at tho Princess was punctuated with happy laughter. The theatre filled rapidly, the big majority of tho audience being girls and women, _ but the men dropped in and made a fringe that helped tiro volume of voice. Mr Ward explained that he was now to the game, so far as conducting community sings was concerned. He soon had the crowd with him,, however, and he had only to give forth 'a Hormieism to got tho big laugh. Following tho National Anthem, there wajs a call for “ Number 6.” It took three or four repetitions before tho thing reached a degree of heartiness that pleased the conductor. “ When I look around at all you people singing and see so many with your mouths shut it makes roe exasperations!,” said Hermie. “ No. 22,” came a shout. “ ‘ Can You Tame Wild Women,’ ” said Hermie ; “ that’s the thing—let her go! ” But the response was lamentably weak. The conductor ruffled his hair in despair: “I never saw or heard so many tame women in my life,” said he; “ not a wild one in tho house.” So No. 22 was jettisoned, and ‘ I Love a Lassie ’ and ‘ Give Me Dunedin ’ went better. Good fun was got out of ‘ John Brown’s Body,’ the final word of each line being dropped every time until there was none left and the audience merely grunted. “Very successful,” commented Hermie. “except for two or three * bodies 1 and a ‘ grave ’ bobbing in.” And so tho “ sing ” wont on, everyone getting merrier and brighter and finding their voices, but at 1.30 tho thing wound up. Mr Sherman was excellent at the piano, and Misses Mabelle Morgan and Dome Tointou helped in the singing from the stage. Tho chorus ladies made themselves useful in distributing song-sheets and then in using their voices hi the choruses. Ward and Sherman’s community sing was a success all right.