THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1360, 5 July 1911, Page 5

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

(Presi Association), Ohristohnroh, Last Night. The seoond concert of the Sheffield Choir given to-night was, despite rain, which began to fall early in the evening, as numerously attended as was the first oonoert. Owing to the adoption ot methods to prevent crushing at the entrance there was as absence of the crowding and oonsequent inconvenience that marked the arrival of the first audience. The proeramme submitted met with much appreciation, Dr HarrisB 1 "Pan" appealing irresistibly to the mnsioal instiucts of the audienoe, whioh gave the composer, who conduoted' an ovation. Dr Harries, in aoknowledging.expressed his hope tbat the matinee to-morrow, half the not prooeedß of whioh go to the local Ooronation Memorial Fund, would be crowded. "Blest Pair of Sirens," "Sing ye to the Lord," and several part sougs were given very successfully to-night. WHAT ■ DR HARRISS SAID. In the course c'f the interview at Ohristohnroh, ot which we publishod a telegraphed summary, Dr Harris 3 said he only asked the the. people to finance him round the world, and so enable him to bring-1000 people iu. parties of 250 each, ;to this country, so that when they retnrned they obo be propagandists of its possibilities. He did not want his enthusiasm for the oversea Dominions to land him in the workhouse, aud therefore he had to appeal to the man in the street to. get into his camp. He called upon business men, some of /whom had never patronised musio of any kind simply because they honestly claimed that they did not know one note of music from another, and who ooutended that if. they spent five shillings on a ticket they would have nothing to show for it. Yet theso hard-headed basiness men helped him as the mult of his appeal to tlieir pooket; though they told him that there was no sentiment in business; be told them that there was business in sentiment He questioned whether any pnblio man in any sphere of work who had visited New Zealand, had been questioned as to tbe inner workings of his affairs. He could only say that the people of Australasia uaid less than the peuple of Sheffield' did to heartheir own Ohoir in their own oity, and Londoners had to pay twioe as much as the Australian and New Z^alander.