ANGLO-NEW.ZEALAND NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14224, 22 November 1909, Page 6

ANGLO-NEW.ZEALAND NEWS.

!.. . 5 j [FROM OUR OWN CORRKSj'O-OIIVT V'' '' lokdok. October & MR. SPURGEON AS ARTISI '> Invitations to a private view m v ! ' Bond-street of water-colour sketches , I*' Ilev. Thomas Spurgeon willcome as a* '* prise to the many friends" of the «*?*"'' of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, for i' • ! not generally known that Mr. 'ti&ircm hifcl taken up the pursuit of $rt tiace ill h Jki! compelled him to resign hi* pastorale ill his youth ho studied artat .South Kensi DC !' ton. : ' Then came the years of study at tW .'• Pastors' College, followed by the days of his - ministerial career,' first mjj • ' Zealand, and then, on the death of* hi,' illustrious father, .at ; the , Tabernacle "•' Preaching left no time for painting, ana it"' was not until the long and weary days 0 f convalescence which followed 'his last serioiu ' illness that the : .preacher remetnbered l',j old allegiance to art. . ..• 7 , ~ .;- THE AUCKLAND "FEAT-IRON." One W. M. Herrold, in his temerity hai* thrown down the gauge to Mr.. P. A. Vaik' about the discrepancies in his books rewrrb ing the pronunciation of vowels in New"" ■ Zealand, and Mr. Vailo explains" It fa ' very Simple. The New Zealand boy does not constitute the population of New'Ze*. ' I land. It is an objection ible and rapidly!' growing habit, confined princially to tK»' male youth, which includes, of course, boys." Then ho goes on to talk of " tho Auckland Town Hall, locally ' called ' the flat - iron' This is modelled on the Brixton municipal offices.. Note ontent with this, the Council decided to have one side in Oamaru stono (creamy white) and the other in red -brick-' and cement; and, of course, one could sceiboth sides at once. I had a model madei to scale and painted to colour, and now ' both sides are being made of Oamaru : stow.! The city is, however, spending £100,000 oii' a building that will be not an ideal shape * for a public building. The insanity of the - j procedure can best be judged when I-state that English architects assure me that they would compete for any building over £50,000. "' The matter is of some importance '■' generally, for it may lead English architects to watch colonial competitions, and te see how, much their work is, inspiring colo- • nial architects, perhaps to compete .'tlttai* ' selves."

''■'v '.. ""A MOORISH MAID-" The movement for the production mV London of - Mr. Alfred Hill's opera,' "A 1 Moorish Maid," steadily progresses, Mr. ' • Cunningham Bridgeman, who was so much * impressed with the music when ha heard it in Dunediu some years ago, has thrown' himself with , the greatest enthusiasm into* the project, and . has the satisfaction eacW I month of Seeing its consummation more 'pro- v ; bable. i Last night, ;in , the • white i room jM the Savoy Hotel, a gathering of about 100;" prominent New Zealanders and others in- '' terested in musio assembled at Mr. Bridge-' man's ' invitation to > hear a' reading 'its; play. Lord Glasgow, a former Governor' of New Zealand, was present. ;i Colonel the! i Hon. It. E. Boy (Lord Glasgow's brotherwas also present, and Lady Mills, Mr." and]' Mrs. George Beetham, Mr. and Mrs..Holdß-V worth;' Mr. • and Mrs. J. Sinclair Thomson*Zfand Miss Thomson, Mrs. Rous-Marten, Mr'J H. Brett, Miss Medley, Mrs- ■C. M. Brooke) (Christchurch),: Mr. and Mrs, C. "Wray Pa!.] : liser, Messrs. Neville and George - Sic?-' i wright,. Mrs. . Carr (Napier), and Miss B.J Old were •' among the; New Zealanders who]. attended. Mr. Cunningham Bridgeman, by;"' way of ; introduction, traced the-career of' tho composer before <i he' discovered him!. '.'■ "wasting his sweetness on the desert"air, ■ of the colonies," arid how he (the speaker)! ' had gone to the theatre in Dunedin ejtp6et-l ! ing to be bored, and-bad:come away filled' with nothing praise and enthusiasm for] >. the work. v He felt convinced from the firß*" that such work had only to be known in l London to bo appreciated and to succeed. The ; production \ for the evening took,the form of a reading of the book, by Mr. Sara, , Walsh, who performed ; his , task in. the most .capable and pleasing '.manner. . Madams Tree, who appeared in the first production! at Auckland, played { the most attractive numbers on the pianoforte, and sang 'alio<K' several of the : tuneful soli, arid a duet with Mr. ; Walsh. ; '•Lbverlarid" -and the silent chorus were 'loudly!applauded- Mr. Thorn' . ton sang i the baritone soli, and Mr. Gwyllam Wigley the tenor. The musio, of "Mina" - Was sung by { Mdlle. * -feayier^', who took thei part of "La Pounce' when it first ' aiw peared. , '* ' . , --' - - - •■-■.■■■■ ■-- -■-■■■■ •--.■