SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14483, 3 July 1911, Page 2

SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

WELLING') ON CONCERTS. A GREAT. SUCCESS. Per Press Association. WILLINQTON, July I. The Town Hall was again packeJ last night to ta full limit u> hear the Sheffield Choir, The part ''nglng wis the feature whiv-b aroused th.- audience to U\-e greatest enthusiasm, eapeeia'ly "Bella of St. Miohael J s Tower," in which the effect procmoed is described by various superlatiTeß. Dr Harriss' 1 composition "Pan'' also met v'th great favour. The orchestral aooompaniment was a great feature, and at the end Dr Harrias warmly praased> the members of too orchestra for their work. ABBIVAU IN OHRIBTCRUROH. DR. HARRISS INTERVIEWED. CHRISTOhFrCH, July 2. The members of the Sheffield Choir arrived to-day from Wellington and were met by a fairly largo crowd at Lytfcelbon, and by a. very large crowd on tiho Christehuroh Railway Station. I Most of those present were hosts and hostesses of members of the Choir,

The. public reception is talcing place t-morrow afternoon This ul'tcniooni ivilih the looaL choir, the, 'Sheffield Choir had a rehearsal of "lilijah." | In ail interview Dr. Harri&s dealt ' frankly with financial mattora, and with tho statement tlhat tihe Choir were being overworked. Aa to tho financial aspect Dr. Harries stated that tho realisation of his scheme of ten years ago to make the British Empire better known to the pooplo of the Britiah lales and to advertise the British Dominions ovorse;us in such a manner as tho Government could afford 'had cost] him £15,000 of his own money, and not a penny of anyone else's. All ho required was that tho people in tho Dominions should | Say tho way of the Ohoir. Lord j trathoona (Canadian High Oommis- j sioner) "who was greatly interested in j the scheme had offered Mr Harriss a I cheque for £IO,OOO, whidh lie had gratefully declined. Ho calculated that the present tour of tho Ohoir •will cost £50,000, and that amount does not include sums spent in the initial stages of the movement. f n respect to tho Choir's visit to South Africa ho expected a deficit of £3OOO owing to "Hie smallness of the halls. Even in Oamada, where tho halls accommodate from six to eight thousand, the previous twelve day's visit of the Ohoir resulted in a loss of something like £BOO. As to the. billetin" of members of the Choir, ho stated that it was voluntarily offered 'Po have asked for it to be done would have been far too delicate a matter 1 for Mm to suggest. As to thle Choir I being overworked, Dr. Harriss explained that the recent matinee at Palmerston North was net included I in ihe original plan, and ii volved the 1 Choir travelling there on r>-diay. The brief periods spent try the clo:r in different places was due to the fact that the members of the choir v ere unau.e •bo devote a greater period than six months and two weeks to the tour, and be -was attempting to do the best possible in the c:rcurustan'''es. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. Dr Harriss, who, with she Sheffield Choir, was on saa on Coronation Day, despatched on his arrival n Auckland a telegram to the King congratulating His Majesty and the Queen on behalf of die 10,000 choriEtsrs and instrumentalists in. Australasia associated with the Choir in his Festivals of tho Empire, on their Coronation. Dr Harriss has received the''following reply: Buckingham Palace, June 2fih, 1911. "I am oomniai.ded by the King to thank you and all who joined w.th you for the loyal sentiments x,o which your telegram gave expression, Arthur) Bigge."

CONCERT IN TIMARU. IS THERE TIME STILL? To the Editor oi tho "Timaru Herald." Six, —I have only iust K arued tuat this choir is passing thruugh from Ohr,stcirarcii to Dunedin by special train. Now to mo it seems particularly unfortunate that Timaru peopie hare no opportunity of hearing—of cou.-se we caimot all go to Ciiristchurch —this magmnoont combination, and I wish with your kind per.iri&aion, to make & suggestior to our worthy Mayor. It may, certainly £Com a little late to make arrangements, but i feel convinced that if tho matter is taken in hand this morning, any difficulties will be removed. My suggestion is that Dr-Haxriss should be wired to and requested to give a. performance — even if it was only of soma threequarters of an hour's duration —in the Olympia. The theatre from a seating point of view would be better, but I doubt if the stage would be large enough for the choir. Very little expense or special platform crrangonient would, be necessary as the cUoj could take th© gallery, and the scuts in the hall could be turned round to suit. The fact of the choir travelling by special train makes my proposal quite feasible, as the choir is not restricted to ordinary train time, ,'t would be ~eeessaxy oi course for tho Railway Department to re-arrango their running time, but this is a matter of detail. I understand that -ho train ia timed to arrive at Timaru en Thursday, a little later than the morning express. If therefore Dr Harris could be rrevailed upoi to give a curtaiiod ■ programme, ho could still laud his choir m Dunedin before 6 p.m. Such a performance would be but tut- can-vine out of Dr Hamss's great schema of Empire reciprocity, and I am quite convinced that there would be a thronged building. Now I know from .eap.jna.ee that Mr Craigie is. not easily _ deterred from carrying out any 1 hope that he will be persuaded to tbt e io» m?ned, ?J e , action - nod so *»™ the lasting thanks of very many of his -.onstituents who are diaSng at not being able to Lsten to these "champions ,„ song" if ] l6 n .. u it ott, at such short notice, Lv will but merit all the more credit And of course it is the man who 'can rise to MnST n °£ 0f im P° rt «ee who shows himself to be a man of the material or^>^ XRHOTV. • THE MAYOR'S VIEWS. ARHANGEMENTS~ioR WELCOME. The suggestion that it may still be possible to arrange for a short concert i? TsLS™ 1 b V, *> Sheffield Choir on Th, i OQ tl,eu " Va J to Dunedin on Thursday was referred to the Mayor, Mr Craigie, by a "Herald" representative laW evening Mr Craigie pointed out tQiat the Choir nas being heavily worked already and as tfie visitors were to _ IV o a performance on Thursday evening in Dunedin, he thought that it would probably be too much to ask " to give a concert at such short notice m tarn m the course of their journey south. Some consideration shonld be_ shown to the visitors wlio were touring the Dominion as part of an mission. They were expected to arrive in Timaru at 11 15 a.m. on Thursday, and their special tram was timed to go on after a stop of only lo nmnutes. He had undertaken tihat the Choir would be provided with refreshments at Timaru, and he hoped that it would lie possible for tins purpose to obtain the loan-of the National Mortgage Company's woolshed, in which the Coronation balls were held. The stationmaster informed him that Hie train could ?>e drawn up witliin a ohain of this building without going to the platform. Refreshments could be provided there for the visitors, and their stav might be prolonged sufficiently for 'a short speech of welcome to bo made to them as kinsmen from across the sea., and g>ssibly the Choir would give a song, e would ask a number of the townsmen to assist him in. the entertainment of the visitors, and Mrs Craigie would convene a ladies' meeting "at the Borough Council Chambers tomorrow, for the formation of a ladies committee to carry out tho necessary arrangements. TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS. To tlie Editor of the "Timaru Herald." Sir, —I notice that some of the people are complaining about no arrangements having been mado with tlie Railway Department in accordance with my advertisements. Tho offioial announcement appears in this morning's papers, from which it will .be seen that •sxcursian-tickets will .bi,.

issued from Monday 3rd! July to Wednesday sth Ju]y, available for return, uutil July 10th. I regret that the arrangements for the- special train book from Christchurch on Wednesday night after the last performance have not been made owing to no ooncerted action being taken by the people of Timaru. There is to be a special train run out to Ashburton on that night, and if I receive a guarantee, before Tuesday evening, that on hundred passengers will travel to Timaru on that night the special train can bo arranged.

With regard to the various complaints published and sent to me by Timaru peoplo, I -wish to say that I had the permission of the General Manager of the Railways to advertise excursion rates to all centres during the time the Choir was in the country and the Railway Departments announcements this morning fully bear out my action, notwithstanding what the stationmasters may say.—l am, eto., HUGO GORLITZ. The Sheffield Choir gave a matinee at Palmerston North on Friday, in one of the big show ground halls. They hnd a packed audience, who gave them an enthusiasts reception, oheo.*?<l them at the concert, and cheered tiiem away at tho station.