DUNEDIN CHORAL SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15384, 22 February 1912, Page 2

DUNEDIN CHORAL SOCIETY

j FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. ' The members of the IJumxlin Choral Society were uy no mums tavaured by tliu weather lor ttieir lillecnth mutual meeting on 'luesday night, but there were some oJ present in ihe Ait liallury Hall. AirU. K C. Held, olio oi tile i» e-presidents, presided in the .lUseiice ol tno pres.dent (.Mr G. -M. Thomson, .i1.1'.). in a letter ol a|iology load by the chairman, Air Thomson expreyed tho opinion that steps slkiuW bo taken to yet-11 suitahlo Town Hall. Air •Myers, M.F., had told him that tho Auck* hind Town llall tohenio had proved u urcat success. , ' Ihe Chairman said tiiul no report of the committee had been submitted, partly because the president had been out of town, - and tho matter ot consulting him had bum ~ left rather line. Hit himself hail written out a lew remarks, which ho wished them to understand hud not 1/ecn submitted to or uliprovcd by tliu couuiiitiee. 110 then read tlio following report:—"'i'lie concerts given to subscribers during the year were threo as usual, and tho following works weru Ipcrf orniodMay 23—" Elijali " (Mendelssohn). Soloists: Madame Josephine Otlee, •Mrs Winifred Simpson, .Mr Colin J. Gray, Mr Jas. Jugo. September J2—"Golden Legend" (Sullivan). Soloists: Mrs A. Gower Burns, Mrs Winifred Simpson, Mr 11. C. Popplowell, Mr (!. \V. Johnstone. December 12—" St. I'nul" (.Mendelssohn). Soloists: .Miss Helen Gard'ner, Miss Violet Macintosh, Mr Colin J. Gray, Mr John F. Ewen. Tho last concert was Riven in First. Church,, and the commit desires to > express tho thinks of tho society to the minister and ollicers of tliu Church for KiuntiiijfJJie uso of Ihe building and tho organ. {Jo perforiiKiiice would, no doubt, have been a much greater success had more reliearsds been held with tho organ. Tho soloists, however, nnisl bo congratulated on I the way in which they rendered the parts allotted to them. The performance of tho Messiah was yivoti on the evening of Wednesday, December 20. and it is with regret that, (he committee has to announce a very unsatisfactory result financially. Tho soloists were much appreciated, tho soprano lioiiiL', taken by Miss Mary Mitchell, and the contralto by Miss Violet Macintosh. Messrs John Leech and G. \Y. Johnstone renderiti!! the music allotted to the tenor and bass parts. The committee desires lo express the thanks of the society to the ladies and gentlemen who gave their ser\ices gratis during the season. Miss Violet Macintosh was much appreciated on both occasions, als") Air J. I'". Ewen and .Mr 11. C. Popplewell, One of the most nrdiiouii and lens! appreciated workers in the society ,is the honorary pianist, and the committee desires Jo convey its sincere thanks lo Miss L. Ferine, v.ho so regularly attended the practice?. Special thanks are also due to the members of the orchestra, who so willingly assisted on several occasions." One thing he had not dealt with lit all ill the report was the visit, of the Sheffield Choir lo Duncdin. Tliev all very much appreciated being allowed to take part in tile performances, but he did not I think from the Choral Society's standpoint, j I or from a. musical 'standpoint, that, tho benefits anticipated had been realised. It J was a matter of great rosrcl. that they could not have held some of the members that helped them at that time. The bill- " mice sheet, he was sorry to say, showed a very bad position indeed.' The goncr.il expenses amounted to £69 5s 2d, and Ijie concert expenses totalled £H5 12s 2d. 'lie receipts amounted only lo 3133 2s fld, ami Ihe excess of expenditure over income was £81 14s Sit. Urekoning in the debit Iml* I aneo of £'H 8s 8d from last voar, and tho credit of £31 Is lOd at the bank, they were left with a. tolal liability of £126 3s sd. lie moved the adoption of the re|iort and balance sheet. Mr J. Livinfaonc seconded the motion. Air L. Pope asked' if nnjthing had been done towards raising lunds to pay oil the liability. The "Chairman said the committee had discussed the matter, ant? he thought it was absolutely necewary that som.'tliin;; should bo done lie fore they incurr.il any furtlicr liability. Last year they would reiiiember thai the Dtincdin Orchestiid Sccicty and the Liodertafol had l>oth promised to htip them if tbev got. up a eoncert lo raise funds. For some reason, this had Lccn postl<on«l for a time, and then (lrop]xxi altogether. Air Wright informed him that tho Orchestral Society would l>e quite willing to eomo forward and assist with several items, and lie iilw undersUnxl that the promise of tho Licdortafel still held good. There wjl-s no reason why they should not by ntch a conrert mike a sufiicient sum largely to reduoo their liabilities, if not wipe them o'J altogether. Air W. L. I/Ogie expressed tho indebtedness of Uio society to its conductor (Mr James Coombs). In response to n question, the Secretary reported that, since the balance sheet. hud been printed he hail received «ni; £5 in subscriptions, and lie cxpectcd to get ill pretty well all the sul*criptioiis. extent perhaps "tlio.>e outstanding from 1910. Air LVwinbs pointed out that a good' concert brought in alxmt £50, and a very concert £'75. and that would still leave t.hom with a serious debit. Hit* idea would be to K« to work and have a bazaar ahcml July to raise funds. X.i doubt (lit! giving of an opera would be suavssful, but |.)n chjeelion to that was that they would |*» clashin;,' with tlio existing Opcnitic Sccicty. The Chairman said ho had no objection to the i<r.« o! a bazaar if it would work, 110 tiioiuht that a good concert am Id lie got up very i|iiickly, and he de-vipptv.ml of the suggestion to wail lill next July. Til--' re>>ort and baJance sheet were adopted. The following office-bearers were ekcicd for the ensuing ycwir:—President, Air (!. Al. Thom.-.on, M.P.; vice-presidents—Dwn Fitdictt, Messrs A. S. l'aicison, il. li. Courtis. J. Livingstone, \V.- Wills, W. .1. ! MorHI, W. H. C I'oid, and Professor 1). | K. While: committor—Mrs 11. F. Wright, Miss J. D. Hooper. .Messrs L. Pope, J. (\ I Moody, J. H. Thomson, (', Clark. \Y.

Thomson; hon. <omiiicior. Mr junitt l ooml*: lion, pianis:. Miss I, 8. Fernii\ A.T.C.L; hon. libiarinii, Mr \Y. T. Wallace; lion. assistant- librarian, Mr V. K. 15. Courtis: lion, l-n'-asurer. Mr U'. L. l.cL'io. Mr J. 1.. Stewart Wriyht intitiKiUxf liis desire to withdraw ircm iin> sw.vtanship. anil llio a:>i/Ointiiicii; of a sUcclshu' was loft with the committee. The ( liairirian referred to the for a Comniilice to select the best roiccs they could rot, and thou |i;| up \acancies as they ctv-urrcd from other applicants.

Mr W. Thomson moved That the rules of the srewtv tho election ami atfienrianw of performing members K? .-r-rictly cnionv<l, and that with tnat end in viow a Tret Committee !>e appoinuxi by die General Committee. I'ur.w-r, tlwt it I>3 a to tixi General Cbm-

mitloc In seourc tho services of a tcachcr of singing to act on tho Tost Committee." 110 e-xplained that tJio iikvi of tho lost cl.-i.itP:> was to relieve llio conductor from Dip somewhat unpleasant duty of making a selection. Mr ,1. B. Thomson seconded tho motion, and emphasised tho point that tho test would bo very simple. The motion was carried.