POPULAR ENTERTAINMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 65, 29 July 1868, Page 2

POPULAR ENTERTAINMENTS.

Tho second of a series of winter entertainments took place at tho Town Hall, la. t evening, and was attended with an amount of success oven bey on. l anticipation. Aa on the first occasion, the building was crowded in every availabio spot* ami tlio rush for ad> mission wuh so ureal, that the committee was obliged to cloao tlio doors alter they hid been but a Bhort time thrown open. The proceeds shew that nearly 700 person, woif. present, exclusive 0- tlio performers and their friends, who were accommodated with s.'iits on tho platform. It was nn agreeable fact to note that during thu entertainment, tho utmost decorum prevailed ; and the frequent applause of the audience was a satisfactory proof of how tho services of iho various performer-, wero appreciated. Tho gentlemen who wero mainly instrumental in establishing this system of popular amusement ami instruction havo every reason to coiif'i'utuh.to themselves on the sue. -ess which has attendod their labours— a success, we may say, which far' outvtrips anythiiu that has hitherto ken achieved in ChrLtchuroh. It was feared by somo thst the attendance would fall off very considerably afier the first performance, but last night's assemblage, which was compose.! of all classes, shewn that tho movemvnt, yet iv its infancy, has commanded univer*al approbation, The proceedings of tho night wero op ned by an address from tho Hey Charles V rascr. lie said It was with very great pleasure that ho prcsldod on such an occasion ns the present, But ho should havo been glad of a littlo moro leisure In order to prepare something moro worthy of tluir attention than tho few thoughts which he had bcon able to string together. He would not attempt to repeat anything which had already ocen so appropriately and no forcibly iiaid by Mr JiiHtleo Grcsson. He should content himself with indictting what had been tho aim and purpose of the committal In proposing these entertainment.. If lto might bo permitted so to express It, they were Intended to accomplish on a lurgo scale, what a moderate sized family might nccmn • plish on a smaller scale, Tho oommUtoe wished to rlvo these entertainments tho character of a family party. Whether among the performers or the audience all distinctions would for tho timo cease which divided their community into hostile or rival parties ; political disputes, religious differences, business quarrels, UwsuU., different classes or cliques had nothing to do with them hero. Thoir performers would do their best not to outshine ono another— (laughter)— but lo please' their fellow citizens, and to prosper v Kood undertaking. (Applause ) That platform was us unlike us possible tj a stage, aud was meant to bo so. The great poet of all time says, " All tho world's a stage, and all tho men and women merely players;" and thoy woro accustomed to rceogniso the stage ns a mlnluturo world itself. It represented in mimic show tho kings nnd queens, the rich men and the beggers, soldiers, merchants, citizens, and foreigners— ln short all the various classes of society, nod all die different events which be foi them, Theirs' was an humbler, but perhaps a nobler as well ns a purer aim. They wished to represent here, not tho world in its distinctions of class, but the family in its unity, They wished to lay aside for the time tho distinctions of religious creed, of political party, ot class, profcsiion, or pursuit - und if their ende.ivour wero successful, it would havo two distinct excellent results ; It would aid In diffusing a kindly feeling throughout the community, and to use the words of a wellknown writer, it would help to sweeten tho breath of society i it might make theso Canterbury evenings, if not quite so famous, at lexst nearly as pleasant as tho Canterbury Tales of good old Geoffrey Chaucer. Tho other desirable result of these evenings might bo, that they would give . a tasto for similar re-unions on a smaller scale in tho family, or among a fow friend, capable of forming a small but sufficiently varied circle If thoy gavo n tasto for quiet home enjoyments, In profcrenco to thoso of the public-hou.o and tho promiscuous assembly, they would havo accomplished a noble cad. Lot him say a word in regard to tho slzo of the family party hero. Thcro wero 700

present last evening, and there wero nearly as many to-night, Now the committee wished to bo rather exact on this point. They wished to see present every evening not fewer than 750 nor more than 1000. These round numbers would form a nice family circle, and thoy had not a parlour iv which to m .ko a larger number comfortable. Mr Justice Gresson, in his admirable inaugural address of last Tuesday, expressed the hopo that another excellent result would follow from these meetings — that many young m.n would bo induca . to avail themselves of tho advantage, afforded by tho Literary or Mechanics' Instiute. He had observed in ono of the evening papers a letter signed hy a working man, complaining that that institution did not meet the requirements of the working men, and was therefore not supported by them. Now, he bogged to say on tho part of tho Committee of that Institute, and for himself as vice-president for tho year, that if the working men would make known, through the public papers or otherwise, what they specially complained of, or what changes they wished to see effected, all possible attention would be paid to their suggestions, And, better still, if t.»<?y would become member, of the institution by paying the very modorato annual or quarterly subscription, they would themselves have nil the privileges nnd nil the powers of elf cr the present members or tho original founders, lie sincerely trusted lhat the entertainments now established would be productive of all thoso beneficial results which his Honor Mr Justice Grcsion had pointed out, nnd hoped, further, that the entertainments to bo given on future evenings would bo aa largely intended as thoso of last Tuesday aud the present occasion. (Applause.) Tho Tonio Sol-Fa Association, which mustered in considerable force under the leadership of Mr J. B, Stansell, gave " The Drum Murch Chorus," and Ihe performance was heartily applauded. Dr Turnbull then road •• Hah and his friends." Tho ple_o is a capital one, nnd affords many opportunities to the reader of shewing hia powers of elocution (o advantage, but it* length may he objected lo on an occasion like thi*. Notwithstanding this, however, and tho fact that tho doctor was perhaps somewhat too weak and indistinct in articulation to bo heard in every part of tho hal), the reading was highly app.eelat_d, aa waa manifested by the applause which followed. Mr Rowley, n young, but excellent performer on tho flute, who haa gained a prestige in onr amntcur circle, nest favoured tho audience with a solo from " U SomnambuU," Mr Zincgrafl! accompanying htm on the piano. The performance was a truly admirable one, and a most flattering round of applause, was accorded to Mr Kowlcy, besides an invitation to repeat the solo. The audience persisted in demanding an encore, until ultimately the Hey Mr Froser was obliged to explain tliat it was an established rule of tho Committee that encores should not bo given, as it was desirable that tho entertainments should not Ixs protracted beyond tba specified lime. Ho hoped, ho waver, that Mr Howley would bo enabled to respond to their call on some future evening. Tho Tonio Sol-fa Association gave tho part son? " Departure," which was equally well received as their flrat selection. Next on tlie list waa a reading hy the Hey. W. J. Habens, on ♦• Snoba "—lhat part in which Thackeray has so well and truly pnurtrayed one of the most ridiculous and unbearable phases of which society is in ptrt composed in tho old country. Tho reading comprised two chapters, and was just of sutfoient length to bo thoroughly enjoyable. Mr Habens read with great accuracy and distinctness, and his accentuation was so perfect that every syllable must have bwn heard throughout the building. The applause was ureal, and while Thackeray was admired, Mr Habens bad a tribute paid to him for tha manner In which he expressed the character drawn by the humourist. Mr G, Rutland *ang " Nil Dc-perandum," and sang it well, too, Mr Zincgr art accompanying him on tho piano. Mr 11. P. Crosbie recited Edgar I'oe'a well-known pieco ''The Haven." The recitation of this composition is a task of considerable dltHculty, and it requires a good voice and ihe power of modulating it at ple__ur*>, to do justice to it, but Mr Crosbie has evidently studied '• Tho Haven " with great care. The Tonic Sol-fa Association sang "The Comrades song of Hope " — an excellent < diorus, and wbich may be ssid to have been the hist of their performances, air Frascr announced that the next entertainment would be given at tbe same place on Tuesday evening next, when a very varied and attractive programme would. he prcsentel. Tho National anthem was then sung, nnd the audience broke up, everybody giving expression to tho delight which the entertainment had afforded.