GAELIC SOCIETY

Otago Witness, Issue 2120, 11 October 1894, Page 35

GAELIC SOCIETY

The monthly meeting of this society was held on Wednesday in the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street ; the president (Mr Dugald M'Lachlan) in the chair. Whilst the members were assembling, Pipe-major M'Kechnie and Mr J. Murray played "The 79th Highlanders' farewell to Gibraltar." The secretary acknowledged receipt from Mr D. A. Cameron (Nokomai) of a Gaelic history of Scotland for the library, and the thanks of the society were awarded Mr Cameron for s the welcome gift. In connection with the study of Gaelic literature, the committee had arranged that the first of a series of meetings for this purpose would be held this month, and all wishing attend it would be duly advised. It was proposed to begin with the works of Duncan Ban, and to read them critically throughout, so that all who attended might have a correct conception of the author for themselves. He read a short memoir of the poet, and as an illustration of his style Mr J. Turner gave a reading from "Ben Doran." .Feeling reference was made to the death of the late Mr Robert Swan, whose loss would be much felt by the society. The concert which followed was carried out in a spirited manner, 'all the performers acquitting themselves remarkably well, and meeting with unstinted applause. The Gaelic songs were sung by Mrs Campbell and Messrs D. Munrq, J. Turner, J. M'Donald, Murdoch, M'Ritchie, and D. Matheson. Miss Chambers'fl r.end,e»ns of "The boanio hills

of Scotland," accompanying herelf on the vioHA - was greatly appreciated, as was also Miss Annij M'Donald's singing of "Ye banks and braea. The recitation, "Guilty or Not Guilty," wa»givea^ by Miss Alice Hunter in a particularly nio* manner, the pathos of the piece being wellbrought out. The Irish comic song " I'm a man you don't see every day " received ample justice from Mr Colin M'Kenzie. Mr J. D. S. Burt danced with taste and precision "M'Duff's Farewell (this being, we are informed, the first time it has been danced in the colony), and his performance' was greeted with hearty applause. The bagpipe soloi played by Messrs M Kechnie and Murray were as usual conspicuous features in the entertainment.

At the committee meeting held immediately after, the treasurer, Mr T. O. Matheson, was instructed to send to the treasurer of the Stuart memorial fund the sum of £5. The feeling was' expressed that if the memorial had taken theshape of a free library a very much larger donation would have been given. A donation of £1' for the Petrie fund was also passed.