COMMUNITY SINGING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18563, 25 May 1922, Page 6

COMMUNITY SINGING

ANOTHER CHEERY HOUR. MR DREW LEADS A CROWDED AUDIENCE. While it can scarcely be said as yet I that community singing has “come to stay’’ in Dunedin, ft is certainly clear that it is in for a very good season while the popular fancy continues to set so strongly in this direction. The second of these cheerful impromptu gatherings took place in the Octagon Hall from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. yesterday. The ground floor was com- I tortably filled well before the starting time, and when the upper doors were thrown open the gallery quickly filled too. The singing had not been long in progress before every seat was occupied and large numbers were standing. A few minutes later Mr P. Braithwaite came in with word that there were hundreds outside unable to get in, and poi'tions of the audience moved in a little further to accommodate them. Even so, many bad to be turned away disappointed. ’The size of the attendance may be gauged from the fact that the whole of the 2000 song sheets printed were distributed, and then the demand was by no means satisfied. ‘ Mr Vernon T. Drew of the Y.M.C.A. staff, was in charge of the proceedings, and Mr Roi Don carried out the difficult duties of piano accompanist. The'new song sheets : contained 23 numbers almost all of which | are popular and well known. Sharp to | time the music' opened with ft verse of i the National Anthem heartily Mr I Drew announced, “It’s a short, short life we live here,”'as the first song, and breezily remarked he wished “Sympathy” had been on the sheet. He needed it coming after such a leader as Mr Russell. He gave his audience credit, he said, for understanding what they were singing and so he would leave it to them to arrange their own light and shade. With vigorous gesture and good-natured banter the leader 1 soon got the audience well into the swing of it. Good old “Swannee Ribber” followed, and then for a change something new, “Keep your face to the sunshine,’' a bright little thing written by Mrs Cyril Mee. Then suggestions were invited, and “Peggy O’Neill”' won by a tenth of a second from a host of other competitors. - First the men and then the- women “let it go,” and then all came in together with good effect. ... At this stage Miss Molly Vickers delighted everyone: with her rendering of . Elgar’s “Land of Hope and Glory” and the audience fully appreciated the privilege of joining in the chorus of the later verses. It is sometimes said that Dunedin is not Scotch, but the wav the people', took, hold of “By von bonnie banks” and gave voice to the last line especially, ‘‘On the bonnie bonnie banka of Loch Lomond,” was strong evidence in the other direction. “Annie Laurie” was undoubtedly another of the outstanding successes of the hour. 'Most of the succeeding numbers were chosen by voices from the audience, and the minutes sped swiftly away with “Beautiful Ohio,” “There’s an old-fashioned house,” “Mother Machree,” “Keep on humming,” “Sing and let us hurry,” “Till the sands of the desert grow cold,” ‘ The old Kentucky home,” “Sons of the sea,” “Pack up your troubles,” “The bells of St. Mary’s,” and others. Of course, all the pieces did not go equally well, and some of the newer songs were clearly unfamiliar to many present. That, however, is a weakness that will soon bo got over, for they are by no means slow to learn. The appropriate Empire Day number, “Sons of the sea,” with the rousing chorus, “Rule Britannia.” was taken up with a whole-hearted enthusiasrii that did everyone good. Sometimes Mr Drew divided the audience into

sections and pitted the gallery against “pit” or men aginst women in friendly rivalry. A most enjoyable effect was obtained with the round. "Three blind mice,” started in the gallery and taken up first by one side of the ground floor and then by the other. In loss than a minute Mr Drew had the three parts of the immortal rhyme being produced simultaneously with great gusto and vigour. Sb keenly did the audience enter into the spirit of the thing that even the ceasing of the piano accompaniment failed to check them, and it yvas ■ a little while before the roar of voices dissolved into laughter and the next number could bo announced. “Till the sands of the desert’’ was one of the items in which the audience acquitted itself most creditably from a musical point of view. Shortly before 1 o’clock a number /of people had to leave to get back to business, but their places were promptly filled, and the hall was always crowded.- As a matter of fact the vigilant eye of the ..city inspector was attracted, and those in charge of future gatherings will have to exercise every care to keep the doors and passages clear. Mr Drew took occasion to explain again that no one was making any money out of this venture, and that after actual expenses had been paid any surplus from the voluntary collections would .be devoted to some suitable charitable object. The audience evidently appreciated their entertainment yesterday, for the collection amounted to the generous sum of £25 lOs. The next of these happy sons festivals will be held on Wednesday next from 12.30 to 1.30. SUCCESS IN CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, May 24. The second community sing to-day, under the leadership of Mr Leonard Nelson, was a striking success. The Liberty Theatre was packed by enthusiastic citizens, and a big crowd of people who were unable to gain admittance were congregated outside.