CONCERT AT HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 2

CONCERT AT HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

The effort ipirt fortli on Saturday night to raise funds with which to assist the Mornington, High School, and Albany Street Schools' Bands was amply rewarded, His Majesty's Theatre being- well filled to listen to a programme of music, singing, dancing, and recitation of a superior order. It was through this medium that the promoters sought to collect a little much-needed money for the bands, • and in fully obtaining that object they gave their patrons a very interesting and amusing evening. Some of the items wero of outstanding merit.. The combined bands of the three schools mentioned led off, under tho direction of Mr G. B. Laidlaw, with a most creditably played selection styled "Tho Battle Line," and later the St. Kilda Band, under tho game "baton, gave ail exceptionally fine rendition of excerpts from tho opera " William Tell." The audience -was fully conscious that something much above the ordinary had been listened to, and, long as the item was, took tho unusual course of redomanding a portion of it. The remainder of the programme was devoted to singing, solo playing, dancing, and recitation, the vocalists being Mi's Coventry, Miss Jessie Christie, Mfees Ethel Pridham, Messrs H. P. Desmoid ins, ssnd J. Leech; tho solo instrumentalists being Messra J. Wallaco, D. Whelan, and Master Leslie Simpson; tho dancers Miss Lily Stevens, Miss Wmnio Robinson, and Miss Iris Griffiths; and tho reciters Messrs Do Spong, J. Deaker, and Miss Dot Flynn. All theso ladies and gentlemen easily gained tho good opinion of those prosent, and not. many of them escaped being recalled. The songs were mostly of a serious character, while tho recitations were nearly all humorous, and with such an audienoo, in which there was a very fair proportion of children, the ejocntioniste scored particularly well. It ought to bo mentioned thai Piper M*Killop supplied tho music for Miss Robinson's Highland fling, which was cleverly danced. Tho official accompanist was Miss Adonia Aitken, but _ a number of other ladies assisted in this department.