OTAKI.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6272, 19 May 1881, Page 5

OTAKI.

(from our own correspondent.)

The first of a series of concerts in aid of the Otaki church organ fund was given on Thursday evening, the 12th instant, and considering the wet and inclement state of the weather it may be said to have been a great success. There were about 120 persons present, and I hear that over £6 was taken at the door. As this was the first a small share of the proceeds of the concert will be required to cover incidental expenses. The concert was held in the large College hall, which at some expense and with a good deal of voluntary labor was painted and papered and moat tastefully decorated for the occasion. The decorations on the stage and round the body of the hall were greatly admired, and reflected great credit on the lady by whose directions they were put up. The stage itself was like a sylvan grove, and without at all interfering with the singing had a most unique and pleasing effect. Along the front and about knee high above the floor of the stage ran a delicate fretwork of tree fern fronds and creeping forest vines. At the sides and corners grew, from boxes of mould, a perfect little forest of palms and evergreen shrubs, through which wound the procession of singers, thirteen in number, wheu going on and off the stage, in a very picturesque and rural Maori style. On the wall behind the stage were formed gothic arches of ferns and ramarama. Along either side of the hall depended from the lamp brackets festoons of tastefully interwoven greens and berries, and beneath every lamp hung a bunch of the graceful kiekie. The concert was opened by the Otaki band, which played the “ Coldstream Guards March ” in their usual style. Next followed Hearsell’s glee, “ Oh, who will o'er the Downs," by all the voices, and with the exception of a slight weakness in the tenor it was very creditably sung. Then “ The Village Blacksmith” was fairly rendered by Mr. Mu William, and as fairly received. Bleckley's “ Yesterday ” was then given by Mrs. Greenough, with great taste and sweetness and was enthusiastically received. Next came Mendelssohn's four part songs “ O fly with me,” “A cold frost fell,” and “ Over her grave,” which were sung with great precision and feeling. A duet between Mrs. Simcox and Mrs. McWilliams, Lindsay’s “ Hymn of the Moravian Nuns,” was greatly marred by several notes of the piano being terribly out of tune ; but for that it would have been the gem of the evening. A glee came next, “Beware,” by Hatton, and was sung with great spirit and in good time and harmony by all the voices. Miss Simcox then sung “ The Message ” and rendered this long and difficult song in a style that left nothing to be desired. The stage was then vacated and fourteen of the Otaki school children ascended, and led by their teacher, Mr. C, Lee, sung “ Hoses red ” in a most creditable manner, so much so, that they received the first encore of the evening. After ten minutes interval the second pars of the programme was opened with a pinafjrte solo by Miss Bright, who, although she showed some signs of nervousness, played will and correctly A glee, “ The fairies,” came next, and its performance was evidently appuciited.

“ King on, sweet Angelas” (Gounod), was then sung by Mrs. Simcox, and received a hearty and well-deserved encore. Miss Simcox followed with a pioafcrte solo, “ Nel silenzio,” played in a most spirited and artistic manner, the variations being given with brilliancy and exactness. A part song, “Gather ye rose buds," was finely sung and elicited due applause, as also the song which followed by Mr. Lee, “Never lose a friend.” A duet, “The messenger swallow,” by Mrs. and Miss Simcox, was listened to with rapt attention, and received thunders of applause. A part song, “ The hardy Norseman,” sung by all, and the Queen’s anthem, concluded the evening’s performance. This is by far the best concert we have had in Otaki for many a long year ; in fact, it is the o- ly real concert we have had here since the time of the celebrated long Lent Native Land Court, when Sir W. Fox and Mr. T. C. Williams led the opposing forces. At that time a good concert was given, but the singers were chiefly strangers, whereas this was carried through solely by local talent.