AMUSEMENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6590, 1 January 1883, Page 10 (Supplement)

AMUSEMENTS, ETC.

Til?: attendant* .-it If err Scf.raitt'* conceit at the Chora! flail on the '/;!-• December, was a recognition of his scrvrjjs ni aid to musical taste ami culture in J s city. The hall was full, ami the qualify <jf the audience conveye;l .1 compliment in ti;e accomplished i;o:v:uctor of tho Choi'iti Society. The hall was decorated with Uvstc. Herr Schrttitt hasgiv-?n many proofs of >is attention to the external accessories musical eiFticKccryihins; to the slightest" detail was e.-.eslknt, botli in manner and: performance. ; An cntertairiTTisnt was held on Dec. 5 in " the school-room ;>f the Poissonby Welleyan i Church, in connection with t!>e closing of ! the session of the i'onsonby Mutual < provement Association. The Rev. H li '1 Dewsburv (president'/ presided. There'was ' an excellent attendance. An excellent programme was creditably gone through. J- ! refection of fruit was hanVied round 'during the evening, am: t!io entertainment passed pleasantly and successfully. jil; The Railway Band concert held in thj a Parnell Hall 011 Dec. 15 was very well :l'j : tended. The concert was successful, and tlif'audience appreciative. The Kailway Bantfl 'i under Bandmaster Klieber, has attained pr| i 1! ficiency, and there was a full muster if,) members at :he concert. Mrs. W. Ellii 11 was the accoirpanist. After the concert t'jf t hall was cleared for a dance. The ba J ,C C supplied the nusic, and Mr. F. Lawry act! -t' as M.C. I '

0n a tea-partv ar<3 gathering toik place at the schoolroom, Xe Arai, the ob.ct being to pay off th (l debt oa the harmoniu*,. Mr. Brown in the chair Th« ables were a\ that could be desired ' Thn following ladp 3 presided at their respective tables Mesfames Brown, Fishlock, Ri ce and hisses K, Fishlock and Maggie Rice' Votes of thanl.; to the ladies and the chairman were dub given and responded to. The whole a flair p\ 3 ed off very nicely, and save groat satisfactory There was a a rge attendance at the Lorac. street Hall on December 11 to hear the Rev. Jolm Golden I'cito his poem entitled "Old Dick, the Prop! 2 t," or the " Bard of Gouganebarra.' The reading was in aid o£ St James' Presbyery, I'akckohe. Mr. J. t" Boylan oecupitl the chair. Although the poem occupied , considerable time in delivery, the ruidieiee listened throughout with great attention, md the rev. gentleman waa loudly cheered althe conclusion. An excellent - programme of was also gone through. "Che performers \ el e all successful, and nearly every item en ti e programme was encored On the motion oiMr. Little, president of tt>» Hibernian Society seconded by Mr. White past-president, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to tlie )ev. Mr. Golden, and also to the ladies and ;entlemen who had assisted in the entertatnmnt. On the motion of Mr. Jennings, a vote if thanks was passed to the chairman. The <itertainment was brought to a close by the tinging of "God Save the Queen." A eomplimcntay concert, tendered to Mr. Ryan, came off on December 11 in the Choral Hall. Thi a ttendance was very much i smaller than the ;laims of Mr. Ryan might | have been expectcl to command. Tlie proi gramme consisted of familiar songs, ren- | dered by lady andgentlcman amateurs. The programme was lucli too long. The first part consisted ofiix items, and it did not terminate until pst nine o'clock. The second part of the üblished programme contained no fewer thn eleven line 3. A succcssful Cneert was given in the Opotiki Town Hal ou Decembers, during which some conceted picces and bolos were very beautifully nd artistically rendered. The entertainmen' concluded with an amusing farce in whia some youthful aspirants sustained their prts very creditably. The whole affair was thorough success, and was wound up with a ance. A very interestig entertainment was given at St. Mary's ccxvent school on the 14th December by the hildren of the select board-ing-school. Therwas a very large attendance. The progunme selected was rather an ambitio.'w one, he " Pirates of Peuzanco." The pupils, howver, acquitted themselves very creditably. A coucert in ai< of the funds of tlie Onehunga Public Liirnry and Free Readingroom was held in ili< Masonic Hall on Monday evening, the 11th Dec. The weather was not very propUous, rain having commenced to fall earlya tho evening, but notwithstanding this drwback tho coucert waa fairly patronised, an realised a respectable sum towards tho lirary func.s. 3he programme consisted < an overture by the Onehunga band, unsr Bandmaster Curtice, "Light and Shad" waltz, which was creditably rendered,ollowed by many other pieces well given. . clarionet solo, by Mi - . Curtice, from " Tanedi," and asong, "Will 0' the Wisp," by Ji\ Taylor, brought the concert to a close, aer which the " inevitable" dance occupiedlhe scene till the "wee sma' hours. The St. Matthew's Church Christmas entertainment, which ras held in St. James' Hall on Dec 19, wasvcil attended. "Bombastea Fiiriosc," " Ts Trial Sceno" from the Merchant of ' Yeni:, aud a comic piece called "Slasher an Crasher," were performed by membersf the congregation. An entertainmentras given on Dee. IS in the Parnell Hall, i aid of the convent and school repairs, by t; pupils of St. John the Baptist's Select Dhool. There was a crowded attendancf The concert was much a'oave the ordinary .•erage, the instrumental pieces being espeally praiseworthy. The entertainment waslivided into three parts, the coucert and ;dr?matic representation, winding up with aomedy. The programme of the concert «s a choice one, and well executed. Xhe parts had manifestly been curnlly rehearsed, and the young ladies sliced an iutelligent appreciation of the fct. They were costumed neatly and apprcriately, and their efforts to amuse and intent the audience were very successful. Thiwas manifested by the loud and frequent ex'c-ssions of applause. Northcote bil fair in the not far distant future to rival te North Shore as a place of public resori'. or holidays. About 150 members of the ISxckior No. 2, 1.0. G.T., attended the puic of the lodge at Northcote on Tucsity, December '26. The picnic was lield in IJWard's paddock. Cricket and other gains.s >vcre played in the paddock, j while parties f Indira ard children strolled ] about the Ills and dales,, gathering ferns, j nik'.Yii, Sc. the picnic of the eliier ">ckol&r2l of St. xb.us's Sunday-school was well atj tendedi A promcade concert, and ball \Vi\3 held at i the Loraistrest Hall on December 26. The:!/ vra a rery good attendance. Mr. Horace Jan was manager, aud Mr. W. Smith atl'i as M.C. at the ball. The following T.-a tfcc programme of the concert :— Song, from Mother's Grave," Miss L. Robtfs; sCTSg, "Wrecked and Saved," Mr. C:f; solo (fogeolet), Master Roberts; ballad, Dear Little Shamrock," Miss Laura Roberf; rnotto song', " All that Glitters," Mr. HDean ; Mr. I'.-cd. Brabazon in his ventrKjuial double song and danccMcssrs. Seagar aim Heightou ; comic song,' Marrying Man," Mr. Taylor ; comic song.lr. H. Dean jpatrioticsrag, "England's Trus'' Mr. H. Dean ; " God Sa7e the Queen." Dancig was kept up till an eaily hour on the Slowing morning. OiChristmas night an entertainment was he'd n the schoolhouse, Papakurr; Valley, urde the auspices of the committee, for the e:pr<s purpose of awarding the prices to tie sholars fer the regular attendance durißg (he ast year. Tea was sumptuously proride by the ladies of the district, superintend by Mesdames Muir and Giimonr. Aftf tea, the chairman, Mr. S. H. Reiil, a ld:ssed the children for .1 few minutes, wh» afttivards were called upon for various relations, which were well rendered. The schol roll was then called over by Mr. Anrews, in tlie absence of the teacher. The umber of books disposed of was 72. The pUsant meeting eame to a happy close by a relation from car worthy chairman, in his usil free style. Three cheers terminated tl; meeting. l soiree and entertainment took place in thKaukapakspa Hall on December 20. The olect was to raise funds for the better ventilaon of the Wesleym Church. The eming was all that could be desired, b; there were not so many presit as is usually the case on such oeciions, owing chiefly to the fact that 0 idea got abroad that there was to be no c'neing after the entertainment. Between te tea aud the commencement of the enterAument tlie drawing for Mrs. Riky's art .lion took place, which occupied a conderab'e time, and somewhat tried the atience of those, present. An excellent and. aric-d programme, consisting oi music, songs, nd readings, was then gone through. Mr. V. Dawson occupied the chair ; -->nd kept the udience in good humour throughout. Tho lotion that there was to be no dancing iurned out to be unfounded. After tho jntertainmnnt was over, the hall was cleared, refreshments handed round, and dacing kept up with great spirit till twelve o'clock. I have not learned the exact amount, bu,; the proceeds amounted to something over £-7, which I suppose will defray the cost of the very desirable object of ventilation. On the lGtli December, a miscellaneous entertainment was given in the school-house, Wb?.ngaro,i, to raise funds to buy a liarjEonhim for tlie new church, now in course of erosion. Considering the short time occupied ih getting up the entertainment, it was a gr ; ;>t success financially and amusingly, tlie erec!\t being mainly due to the Rev. Mr. Hawnes, who spared no trouble and energy ia his endow/ours to further the end in view. Indeed, thr: inhabitants of this place are under' a deb!, .of gratitude for all the rev. gentleman has done for the he taking care to keep us wide awake, and being always the first to undertake any arduous duties. Tlie Rev. Mr. Hawke.s occupied the chair, and in an appropriate sjpee;-h opened the concert. The programme 'Was well chosen and carefully carried out. .Everyone returned ! iome thoroughly pleased .and satisfied wittl Ihe evening's entertainment -

Another proof of the extraordinary weight if wool produced by Auckland. 1 _ bred sheep, pivas shown bv a ram clipped this season^by dessrs. Douglas, of the district, p he fleece turning the scale at ] . ihe { am in question was bred by Mr. R- Hall on | he One-Tree-Hill estate, whose whole tlacK | if nearly 400 sheep this year clipped over r 21bs. each. They are breeding ev:es, a tew t tock rams, and ewe hoggets. . K