DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 12

DUNEDIN BURNS CLUB

The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Burns Club was held in the Choral Hall on the 17th, when there was a very large audience, the iiail being filled. The president, Mr R. Gilkison, presided, and he was supported by the vice-president and several members of the Otago Education Board. The programme was or/eied with bagpipe music by. the club's pipers, Messrs M'Keohnie and M'Knight. The President anaouaced that the committee had decided to organise competitions in Scottish, soi gs and recitations in the near future. Ha expressed his pleasure at semg such a large av-dience, which proved tbat the Burns Club, at all events, was not going to languish for lack of interest. The vocal and instrumental programme was then opened by the club's choir singing the part song " -Annie Laurie," the choir appearing to have taken a new lease of life and to be in very greatly-improved form. Misses M'G-regor and Chalmers were obliged to respond to an encore for their rendering of the duet ' Loch Lomond." Mr A. "Wright was also recalled for his singing of " Morag's fairy glen." Mrs W. J. P. Harvey contributed the song " The eharmin' auld man." This item was composed specially for the club by Dr Stenhouse, and was most capably interpreted by Mts Harvey, who was deservedly encored. Mr J. Jago received a similar compliment f-r his singing of " The standard of " Lochnagar " ; Miss Duff's capital rendering of "Lochnagar" was highly appreciated, and she -wqs recalled. Other items c-n the programme were the son^s " The anchor" ,3 weighed"' by Miss Cowen and— "Jessie's dream" by Miss M. Hall, the violin, solo "Waverley" by Mr Hunter, the cornet solo " Nachklange " by Mr F. M'Lean, ar>d the part songs " Scottish bluebells " and " Tho lad that wears the plaidie " by the choir. Tlie choir -was under the conductorship of Mr W. R. Don, and Miss E. "Wright was accompanist. The address of the evening -was delivered by ibe Rev J. Grsilie on " John Knos." The spexker managed to retain the close attention of the audience for nearly half an hour wi+h an interesting and instructive bicgrapbicil sketch of the great preacher. The Rev. Mr G-ellie commenced by contrasting the state of the people ire Scotland before and after the reformation. He then sketched Knox's career from bis birth to his death, inticducing several little historical references to the troubled times of those days, and he concluded by sayingv that Scotland owed Knox a great debt — fcr, if he might so speak, it was John Knox who made Scotland, whose voice first told the peasants they -were free men, and who raised those poor down-trodd*eji people to a hardy, rugged race. The name of John Knox -would even be held in reverence by Scotchmen the world over, and two other great names wer^ "Wpllace and Burns. — (Applause.)

Dnr'Hg the concert a fine bunch of Scottish tbistlee, presented by Mr W. C. M'?7ee, wag displayed on the platform.