ENTERTAINMENT IN AID OF ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL BUILDING FUND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 26, 17 October 1884, Page 31

ENTERTAIN MENT IN AID OF ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL BUILDING FUND.

The concert and comedy given in the Princess Theatre. Dunedin, on Monday evening, in aid of the Cathedral Building Fund, proved even more successful than we had anticipated. The house waa thronged in every part by a most appreciative audience, and the performance was in every respect capital. To begin with the ladies, as it is becoming : the Misses Walker, Walsh and Carroll, who each eang a solo, were heard to great advantage. "My Ariel," given by Miss Walker, is a remarkably pretty song, and brought out very pleasingly the sweet tones of the singer's voice. Miss Walsh had acquired more confidence than on her former appearance, and there was no flaw in the brilliant manner in which she sang Ganz's '• Dear Bird of Winter," a song requiring musical cultivation of no mean kind and much flexibility of voice. Miss Carroll sang with extreme sweetness and expression Watson's "The song for me." Messrs. J. P. Harris and H. Beid also sang solos, and each in a manner that received, as it deserved, the highest applause. A glee by St. Joseph 'B choir went very smoothly, and was also much admired. The instrumental music was a March played in gallant style by St. Patrick's Band, who continue to show the increasing effects of Mr. Wißhart'a instructions ; a clarionet solo on Irish airs admirably played by Mr. W. H. Corrigan— and only to be played well by a master of the instrument ; a fantasia, " Erin," by the Garrison Band, who attended in full uniform, and whose performance alone was declared . by the audience to be worth coming to hear. The selection of Irish airs given was a very well-chosen one, and the manner in wfaich the band interpreted it was beyond all praise. A double hornpipe by Mr. C. Bills and his pupil wa3 very finely danced, and for grace and agility, and all that attends upon the " light fantastic toe," could not be surpassed : it brought down the house, as a matter of course, and had to be repeated in reply to a rapturous encore. "The big fat gal," the negro song and dance, by Mr. Wiggins, was also very much applauded — nothing, indeed, could be more clever in its way or more amusing, and in response to an encore the performer went through with a very lively dance on a pedestal, which excited the surprise of the on-lookers. At the conclusion of the concert the Bishop came out on the platform and spoke a few words in acknowledgment of the gratitude he felt to the performers who bad given so pleasant an entertainment and the audience who supported it. He thanked the ladies and gentlemen who had sung, the members of the Garrison Band, who had done so much to honour the occasion and played so charmingly, the gentleman who so kindly acted as accompanist, the performers who had delighted the house by their hornpipe dancing, and the gentleman who had so amusingly acted the part of the negro girl. His Lerdsbip added that the object of the Catholic community in building their cathedral was, first, the highest object of all, to which he need not now allude ; then their own convenience ; and lastly, they had also kept in view the consideration they owed the city, which had weighed duly with them in erecting a building that would be ornamental and creditable in every way, and in doing this he thought it could be seen already that they were sure of success. The second portion of the entertainment consisted of the comedy " A Rough Diamond," in which the professional ladies, Miss Heath and Miss Hettie Howarde, took the parts respectively of Margery and Lady Plato, and it is as high a compliment as we need pay to the gentleman amateurs to say that they did not under the circumstances, appear to disadvantage. Mr. D. T. Carroll's Sir William Evergreen was an excellent piece of acting, and the lesser parts of Lord Plato, Captain Blenheim, and .Cousin Joe wore capitally sustained by the gentlemen who filled them* that is, respectively, Messrs. W. Corrigan, S. G. Popplewell, and Carolin. The play was carried through in admirable style, and caused great^amusement. Mr. A. J. Towsey acted with his well-kuown ability as accompanist throughout the evening, — Messrs. C. Begg and Co. having kindly lent a very five pianoforte for the occasion.