ENCOURAGE LOCAL WORK.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 946, 23 April 1908, Page 16

ENCOURAGE LOCAL WORK.

When a number of musical enthusiasts, Headed by one more enthusiastic than the others (that is if such u thing were possib’e). get together, and decide tha New Zealand shall be the first of the Australasian colonies to form a musica’ society, stvled the Australasian Musical Society.

the aims of which are to bring before the public, year by year, new librettists and new composers, then it is time for New Zealanders to rise up and show their appreciation of these men and their aims. The Australasian Musical Society has been brought into being by Mr George Hume of this city, and he has obtained the . hearty co-operation of ‘he Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph ana Lady Ward our worthy Mayor and Mrs Myers, and the Hon. J. A. Tole and Mrs Tole, who have all graciously consented to be patrons and patronesses of the society- Each year the society intend to produce in this, or some other city of the Dominion, a musical work, either opera, comic opera, or musica comedy, which has been written or composed by Australasians. A prize will be offered each year to the competitors, and the winning work will be staged as quickly as possible after the decision of the final judge, Mr Bert. Royle, is made known. The Society will undertake to give every' possible chance to intending competitors, and the work will be handsomely mounted and dressed The first competition wil' close on August 12th, 1908, and competitors are advised to send in their works'at an early date to the enthusiastic businessmanager, Mr George Hume. Should the Society flourish (as we sincerely trust it may), then it is quite “on the cards, that we will have’ in the near future, the Australasian theatre-going public catered for by Australasians. and this, quite without the aid of writers from the Old Country. There must be, nay, there are men and' women too, amongst us who are capable of . writing and composing works, which will please as much, if not more than the plays. we. get from Home. So, Mr Hume, we.wish you and your new venture every . success, .and a bumper house, on June 29th . when, you open with “The Tea-Girl.”