QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 151, 27 May 1935, Page 7

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY

A ROYAL GATHERING. DRIVE IN LONDON. PRESENTS FROM GRANDCHILDREN. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received May 27, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, May 26.

Eighteen members of the Royal Family joined Their Majesties at the Queen’s 68th birthday luncheon at Buckingham Palace. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret arrived later with presents.

Shoals of congratulations wero received. Servants drank the Queen’s health in champagne. Their Majesties celebrated the Queen’s birthday by a surprise afternoon drive through North-West Loudon, accompanied by the Princess Itoyal and Princess Margaret. The drive occupied an hour, proceeding at a walking pace through the narrow streets of' the populous districts. Adults and children rushed to the roadway, cheering Their Majesties.

EMPIRE DAY CONCERT

A VAST AUDIENCE.

(British Official Wireless.) Received May 26, 11.10 a.m. RUGBY, May 25. The King and Queen attended the Empire Day command concert in the Albert Hall last night, when a choir of 300 voices, representative of choral societies in all parts of the British Isles, and a specially augmented orchestra contributed to the programme. At the King’s request there was a change in the programme towards its end and Parry’s “Jerusalem” was sung by the whole of the vast audience. The King and Queen joined in the singing of the hymn. Exceptionally heavy rain fell this morning. Throughout the forenoon the weather continued so threatening that it was feared it might be necessary to postpone the arrangeemnts for tire third of the four Silver Jubilee processional drives through suburban London .this afternoon. Later, however, the skies cleared and the programme was carried out in full to the intense satisfaction of the hundreds of thousands of people who lined the route through the streets of London. The King and Queen drove in a seiniState landau attended by a captain s escort and Life Guards. At Limehouse Their Majesties alighted and the Mayors of the East London boroughs were presented by the Home Secretary. ~ The drive took place to the accompaniment of a continuous roar of cheering.

The Master of the King s Music (Sir Walford Davies) had received His Majesty’s commands to arrange a special concert of British music in the Roval Albert Hall on the evening of Empire Dav, May 24. It was the Kind’s wish that the programme should be made typical of national musicmaking at its best, and that the proceeds should benefit musicians in need. The selection included works lroni Elizabethan, Stuart, and Victorian times, as well as those of to-day. A representative orchestra of 200, and a large chorus was assembled, and not only included members of the leading London orchestras. the Royal C-lioral Society, and, other London societies, with students from the Royal Schools of Music; it was hoped to secure also delegated singers from as many as possible of the winning choirs at the 200 federated musical festivals from all parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Many leading conductors and soloists took part in the concert.