HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT.

Wairarapa Age, 7 August 1930, Page 4

HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT.

BRIGHT AND ENTERTAINING PERFORMANCE.

GOOD MUSIC AND LIVELY COMEDY.

On the merits of past performances, the Wairarapa High School has built up a notable reputation as to the excellence of its annual concerts, and last night’s programme fully maintained the standards of previous years. The Opera House was well filled, and the audience, once its enthusiasm was aroused, was not slow in showing its appreciation. It was evident from the outset that considerable time and effort had been spent in preparation for the big event. The programme had a spirited introduction when the assembled pupils, girls and boys, in their school uniforms, occupied the whole of the stage floor and rendered the school song most effectively. The words printed in the programme beneath the announcement of this item, “We did keep time, sir; we were in tune,” could fairly be applied to the singing of this item. The boys were heard to advantage in a spirited sea shanty and also in the familiar and tuneful air of Martin’s, “Come to the Fair,” and their tutor, Mr. J. Bird, has ever reason to be satisfied with the result of his efforts. Probably some of the most enjoyable items on the first half of the programme were those given by the school orchestra, which is an excellent little combination of string instruments. Mr. R. J. Young, who has undertaken the task of training and conducting this accomplished band of youthful musicians, has brought their playing to a fairly high degree of efficiency, and it was a genuine pleasure to listen to the haunting melodies which were played with precision and understanding. The orchestra contributed in all four items, and also played an accompaniment to the girls’ choruses. The vocalists in the latter items were well trained by Miss O. Sutherland, and the combination of voice and orchestra was blended tunefully. The boys’ gymnastic class alternately held the audience breathless and in laughter, especially when one little nuggety performer, who seemed almost too small to repeat the feats of his bigger team mates, carried them out with equal facility. Other individual contributors in the first half of the programme, which included an amusing sketch entitled “The Battle of Hastings,” and also a ballet, for which the girls were trained by Miss M. Sellar, all achieved distinction and in some cases had to respond to insistent demands for encores. The concluding half of the programme was occupied with a very laughable farce, “The Stepmother,” in which the performers interpreted their respective parts extremely well. It was full of highly diverting situations, ably handled.

The programme was as follows:— School Song, The School; (a) sea shanty, “There’s Fire Down Below,” (b) “Come to the Fair” (Easthope Martin), the Boys; (a) march, “Sir Galahad” (Elmer Gault); (b) Hungarian overture, “Atilla” (Gondon Karoly), the Orchestra; sketch, “The Battle of Hastings,” Lady Angela (wife of Norman Knight), Edna Coleman; Lady Margaret (her daughter), Margaret Grant; announcer, B. Drummond; telephone girl, Rita Brown; Robert (a servant), R. D. Hardie. Recitation, “Packing,” Jean Fellingham; piano duet, “A Torch Dance” (Edward German), Louise Armstrong and Verna Irwin; ballet, L. Armstrong, T. Anderson, O. Brenkley, R. Drummond, H. Brown, E. Coleman, N. Eddy, O. Grose, J. Joyce, N. Kitchener, P. Loader, "O. McLachlan, N. Marks, E. Masters, A. Moore, M. Pither, M. Rayne, A. Bays, M. Rutherford, J. Rutherford, E. Stabbings, B. Tomlinson, G. Tooby, I. Vincent, L. Williams; vocal solo, selection, Molly Morton; pyramids, Boys’ Gymnastic Class; (a) “Water Lilies” (Karl Linder), (b) “As it Fell Upon a Day” (Alfred Wheeler), The Girls; vocal solo, “Early in the Morning,” (Adcock), W. R. Lawrence; (a) minuet “At the Spinet” (Elizabeth Clarke) Op. 2, (b) “A. Fox Hunt” (Elwood McKinley) Op. 11, The Orchestra. Farce, “The Stepmother,” (Arnold Bennett): Cora Prout, a popular novelist and a widow, aged 30, Alice Golder; Adrian Prout, her stepson, aged 26, Norman Ninnes; Thomas Gardner, a doctor, aged 35, Heugh Drummond; Christine Fevershaw, Mrs. Prout’s secretary, aged 20, Jean Fellingham. Mrs. H. M. Morton, who played the accompaniments, and Mrs. T. T. Denbee, as wardrobe mistress, gave muchvalued assistance. The thanks of the school are due to Mr. R. J. Young for his work in connection with the orchestra, to Miss Sellar for training the girls for dancing, to Messrs. Hugo & Shearer, Ltd., E. Williams (Post Office Sales Mart), and A. Clemas, for the loan of furniture and brasses, Mr. W. D. Ansell for the loan of a wireless set, and to Mrs. H. M. Morton and Mrs. T. T. Denbee. The performance will be repeated this evening.