CHORAL MUSIC.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 14 October 1922, Page 4

CHORAL MUSIC.

THE HON. G. M. THOMSON

REMIMISCENT,

During the reharsal of "Elijah" the other night the chairman of the Royal Wellington Choral Union (Mr. C. >E. Webb) called on the Hon. G. M. Thomson, M".L.C, who had paid a surprise visit to the society, to address the members. Mr. Thomson mentioned that he was president of the Duncdin Choral Society, and had been oil their committee continuously since 1871. He had a special interest in the Wellington society, in that one of his sons had been a member of it, and because its enthusiastic secretary (Mr. W. F. Caldow) had, at one time, been a niembefr of the Dunedinl society, as had also been Miss Miria Caldow, the wellknown contralto, now of Auckland. Another reason was that more than one of the performing members had been pupils of his at the Otago Boys' High School many years ago, when matters more scientific thai! musical were the order of the day. Mr. Thomson gave some very interesting reminiscences of, choral work, and instanced an occasion on which he was singing thp solo "See Now He Sleepeth Beneath a Juniper Tree/ with the then Governor of the colony (the Marquis of Norrnanby) sound asleep in a very prominent position in the hall. ,As might be imagined, that was indeed a trying performance! Mr. Thomson referred to the dramatic rehearsal of "Elijah's that he had just been listening to, and referred particularly to the declamatory work of the tenons and the basses. Owins; to there being three male choirs in Dnnedin. the Choral Society there was handicapped as regards numbers, in the male section. Their society was, however, on a good" footing after a lonrr struggle up throuerh the years that bar] gone. It was"" unfortunate that choral

societies were now hampered in their work by the imposition of the amusements, tax, and were, for some reason or anotner, appaiently tnc only' education bodies not exempted by the amendments recently passed by the House. He thought, however, that there was a prospect even yet of their being exempted, so.as.to put them on a footing, with other educational organisations.

Wellington, he said, was very fortunate in having such' a splendid Town Hall in which to render performances, for in Dunedin the only suitable hall was so small that all their concerts had to be duplicated, so as to accommodate all their subscribers^ ?This meant, of course, additional rehearsals and attendances for the member* of the chorus, who were, however, very enthusiastic, and had been very successful in the work* they had undertaken. :

Mr. Thomson referred to the movement in the direction of closer cooperation between the various societies, and after speaking of the Royal Wellington Choral Union's interchange'of visits with the Hastings* Choral Society and the proposed visit to the Tarariaki district, expiessed the belief that the day *ould soon come when an interchange might be arranged between the Wellington • and Dunedih societies.

Mr. Thomson was loudly applauded when he announced cordial greetings and good will from his society in Dunedin, and these being heartily reciprocated by the members of the Choral Uniorr. • . ■