HAPPY INNOVATION AT PUTARURU

Putaruru Press, Volume XXVII, Issue 1373, 27 April 1950, Page 4

HAPPY INNOVATION AT PUTARURU

ENJOYABLE HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT Question Well Answered “And what have you been doing at school to-day?” the fond parent’s popular and, to the child, often tiresome question was entertainingly answered for the audience which filled the Civic Theatre, Putaruru, to capacity to witness the District High School’s music festival and musical revue. Although song and dance held pride of place in the production, physical education and drama were not ignored and parents and friends received a refreshing glimpse of school activities during the previous year. Clear, Young Voices More than 200 children took part in the concert which was efficiently compered by Mr -D. C. Freeman. The first half consisted chiefly of choral items rendered by the Secondary School, the Secondary Girls’ Choir, a small choir of Secondary Schoolgirls whose love of singing inspires them to practice tte art during their leisure, and the Intermediate School Choir. The items ranged from the rousing “Gaudeamus Igitur,” through folk songs of many nations, to “Brother James’ Air” and Bach’s exquisitely gentle “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and included the school song composed by Mr Morrison, who conducted the secondary choirs, with words by Miss Hopkinson, director and accompanist of the intermediate choir. The excellent tone, balance, enunciation and timing of the choirs reflected great credit on the teachers in charge and the clear young voices raised in rendering old but evergreen airs excited a nostalgic pang in the breast of more than one hearer.

Two short plays provided interludes: “Wedding Bells,” the amusing tale of a bride -who jumped to conclusions, and "Perils of Education',” which portrayed the efforts of a neighbour to console, too soon, the mother of a candidate for scholastic honours and her metaphorical somersault when it was revealed that Johnny might after all obtain them. Energetic physical education displays were given by secondary girls and later, reviving memories of Army P.T. for returned servicemen in the audience, by secondary boys. In the second part of the programme, the specially extended stage groaned beneath the weight of over 150 children who presented an exuberant combination of fairy story, melodrama and operetta entitled “The Village Fair,” or “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?”

Tuneful songs and charming country dances were deftly woven into a picture of village life in the days of “Merrie England,” although the comic characters included two early twentieth century English “types” complete with troublesome monacles and Oxford accent. A delightful feature of the gay, carefree show and a sound compliment to the producers was the obvious enjoyment the youthful cast derived from their efforts. At the close of the concert Mr W. S. Phillips, president of the Home and School Association, expressed appreciation of the public’s support in the raising of funds for the children during the past few years, and spoke of the advantages to the children and the staff which had resulted. He also thanked Mr Fountain, manager of the theatre, and his staff for their assistance that evening. Second to None Mr T. H. Sissons, headmaster, pointed out that the items presented that evening were not specifically practised for the show but were part of the normal work at the school during tile previous twelve months. He paid a warm tribute to the teachers and said the whole of his staff ware imbued with the highest ideals of service and the school was now second to none in New Zealand.

In conclusion, Mr Sissons declared that if the audience had enjoyed the show as much as the children, it had been a great success.