REACHING PEAK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27573, 15 December 1950, Page 6

REACHING PEAK

Canterbury Centennial Celebrations

ANNIVERSARY WEEK-END

With the arrival in Christchurch of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr G. F. Fisher, the succession of events commemorating the Canterbury province’s centennial year is reaching a peak. Tomorrow a re-enactment of the landing of the first four ships will be held, and on Sunday Dr Fisher will preach at a religious service in which Cathedral square and Colombo and Worcester streets will be transformed into a great open-air church to seat 10,000 persons. The “ Century of Progress ” procession, depicting the history of the province, will take place on Monday. With the memory of the Otago centennial celebrations still fresh in mind, many people from the “ Scottish settlement” are keenly interested in the Canterbury province’s celebrations and this city and province will be well represented in Christchurch during the week-end. < During the week a * dress rehearsal of the re-en'actment of the landing of the first four ships at Lyttelton on December 16, 1850, was held. One hundred and fifty persons will take part in the spectacular pageant tomorrow morning. At the rehearsal, gentlemen iff frock coats and double-breasted coats, flowered silk waistcoats, pegtop trousers and silk tophats, and women clad in striking costumes, mingled with tarry-handed, strawhatted sailors who will row the “settlers ” ashore from the Charlotte Jane. After these week-end celebrations, the centennial programme will continue until July. Outstanding December attractions will be an old-time musical entertainment, the “ phristmas” Cantata and “Messiah” by musical societies, and the centennial games, featuring international athletes and sportsmen. In January the entertainment round will continue with an old-time regatta at Lyttelton, the Wellington-Lyttelton ocean yacht race, a river carnival on the Avon, and a retrospective exhibition of Canterbury art. Features in February and March will be a fireworks display, “ floral week,” the inter-Dominion trotting championships, a combined military pageant, the National Symphony Orchestra, soloists and conibined choirs in a choral concert season, the national pipe bands’ contest and' highland dancing, and the cricket match between the touring MCC team and Canterbury.