RECITAL BY THE REV. G. S. FIELDING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 17, 22 January 1903, Page 2

RECITAL BY THE REV. G. S. FIELDING.

" ENOCH AKDEN." The Provincial Hall was comfortably fiiljddjftst evening when the Her. G, S, Fielding, of New' South Wales, who is at present relieving the Rev. E. C. Kobison, of all Saints' Church, jjave a recital of Tennyson's famous ppem, " Enoch axden." Mr k. T. Maginmty occupied the chair, and in a few well-chosen words introduced the Key. G. S. Fielding, who, by way I of introduction to the rocila], spoke at I some leLgth on Tennyson's writings— I their characi eristics and their worth to I the student. He claimed Tennyson as I the poet of the century.' He noticed es- 1 pecially the diction and melody, the I BUggesliveoeßS and high moral tone of I rennyeon's poetry ; and drew attention I |io the difference in (spirit and depth of I insight; between his earlier poema and I the works of his later years, In oonclu* I eion the retr. gentleman spoke of the poet I as a preacher against present-day mater- 1 jalism, bAb insido aud outside of 'the | Christen church ;as 4 great man who I jjore a message for everyone ; who taught I the coiiiparaU've wQithlessness ©f •? ma- 1 cbinery *' in the Church and State ; who I erer strove 1 0 iaoaloaU Jessona of hon- 1 our, morality, and religion ; and whose I influence wa? csul in favour of spirituality I and h< liness. I The lev. gentleman ihon recited the I dramatic n^rrativo of " iinpch 4rden," I giving the poem in the fiveseciions into sviiich thesioty naturally divides itself, I vi>!.,— l he love and wedding of Knocb I and Annie Leo ; Enoch'tJ dapaiv I ture ; the wedding of Aume and Phillip ; I Enocti on the island ; and (SnocVs xotura I and death. Mr Fielaing then delivered I hia recila], and toe highest praise could I not. bo meted out for a moro finished ren- 1 dirion. . Ihe lighter paesages wtre ex- 1 celleutly treated, and the picture of An- 1 nio Lee and her lowers — the rough .sailor I lad and the miller's son - iroro capitally I given. No less was the scene woll drawo where. Philip lead his aoom, and "crept do*n the hollow of the wood." Enoch was iuf used With sufficient; emolibn, and the reciter shoved fine enunciation and emphasis in the second' wooing of I Philip. The picture of the island lost noth'w in of Mr Fieldin/, who spoke these lines 'clearly ami w'jth every caj-e, Uufc peihapß the summit of perfection was reached in the relation of tbere. cum to uouto. I hjs portion can be overdone, but L'ennyson'B familial words were spoken a» they should be- not Bpasmudic. ally and hysterically, but with ho p 6l"£ ; quietnoss: and, »nfaofc,the whole poem was given wjtitUat faifchfol alteblwa^l.ich showed the subject had been studied; and the heart of the reciW r was: frith the poet. Between the varloiw dt^siiof the poomapproprlato^ngßaadmaElilechons wore rendcrel Iby; mSsS htwis, Stallard (encored), We4-Bo M n, Mes-' fe e l& *? e^ n (encored), {Lewis, "l e «So°«y («coied) t and Wght* I rhe Cbairniuni on behalf of All Sainte' parish apdtlii* audience present, heartily thanked Mr Fielding for the. inteUedtua Li?Tj>i*?* to*m> and expr^aged a hope tljat nft would dfeliver another rWital before leaving l; Nelsofj. The voteM thahfce wi|B carjfjed jvith.'aiCc^amatioii.; ;Vbtiea i i>f ; tijmka were alo paasetj to the ladje^ and gentleaieu " wlio assi^lpU |a 'the 'concept pnvlicin of the en.ttJVt-iinmcnt, aud*" toihe Ghainiian.f ... . . : ::. lA rcpital of sjupistinfr merit concluded ivitli the Biuging of the National Aataoia.