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New Zealand Mail, Issue 866, 5 October 1888, Page 33

A crowd, estimated at about 300 persons, were outside the Salvation Army barracks Sunday night, toward Bp.m., unable to obtain an entrance. In the paddock at the rear of the building were a couple of score or so of boys and girls, congregated in heaps along the feneoi Passers-by complain of the hideous language used by these larrikins. We trust that oh another Sunday'night the police will take care that the scenes" complained of do not occur, ’

A concert was given on Saturday, night which, although a “ subscription ” one, possessed a certain public interest,.inasmuch/ as it was the precursor of; a new musical movement in this.city. It was given by the' Harmonic Club to -the subscribers of that body, and was, by arrangement, to be the final effort of the Club, as such,-which thus . very worthily concluded a career of nine years, in which a large amount of musical enjoyment aud instruction ha ve been obtained; a number of fine works by old and new.composers having been thus presented to Wellington audiences for the; first time; while the Club has also given several performances in aid of local benevolent objects ; and it will be remembered that it volunteered last year to undertake one of the Rev Leonard Isitt's free popular concerts,' which 'came off with marked success and. was warmly appreciated. The members of the Club, however, have, 1 after- much discussion, arrived at the conclusion that the time lias been reached , when they should enlarge/their sphere of operations, and - accordingly it will be pro-’ posed (and.in: all probability decided) at the approaching annual meeting, to expand what has hitherto been only a private musical club into a regular society, the want of " which has', so long been, felt in Wellington. The proposal ViS to form a new society, to be called “The Wellington Harmonic Society,” of which the'H armonic Club w ith, its effective strength . of some 40-vocalists, it 3 piano, and its valuable library, will be the nucleus.. The choruß.will be enlarged to about double its; present numei-ical "strength, ne>v members being admitted, by the managing coni, mittee Ou satisfactory proof of fitness, musical and otherwise. It is deemed impracticable to keep up permanently a choral force of such-magnitude as that now rehearsing for the Festival, as there is no suitable practice-room and the expense would be too' heavy, but the regular forces of the new Society might be reinforced for speoial oeca- ; . sidns. Arrangements for the contemplated change are all but complete, and will take effect at an "early date. ‘ At the Club’s closing concerton Saturday night there was smile excellent choral singing. The chief novelty (performed for the first time in New Zealaud)-was Dr Villiers Stanford’s masterly setting of TeriDyson’s well-known “ Ballad of the Fleet” “The Revenge,” -- a work of; extreme • difficulty; which was nevertheless ’ admirably executed, the fire and spirit "of the declamatory descriptions of the battle and the storria being as praiseworth as the delicacy with which the tuneful movements depicting the departure of ; Lord Howard’s ships; and the: final sinking of the little “ Revenge,” were interpreted. The other vocal works were Charles Harford Lloyd’s charming “ Song of Balder,” which established itself thoroughly in popular favour on its previous performance, and: Alice Mary Smith's spirited “ Song of the Baltung.” Both; as at their former production, were capitally sung. The three works were ably, conducted by Mr 1 Parker, who was also ■ associated with Miss Williams and Mr Boyd" respectively •in Dvorak’a ‘ ‘Sclavonic Dances” (for pianoforte duet) and- Beethoven’s Romance in'G (for piano and violin); both being very tastefully played. Thus concluded -the musical eareer of the Harmonic Club, which is.now to merge into the Wellington Harmonic Society.., We wish every success to the new undertaking. . :