CONVENT SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT, OAMARU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 31, 23 November 1888, Page 31

CONVENT SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT, OAMARU.

The musical and dramatic entertainment given some time'ago by the young ladies of the Convent High bchool was repeated on last Wednesday evening to a crowded house. There were present : — The Very Rev. Archdeacon Colcman, Rev. Father Donnelly, the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Bhrimski, and a large number of ladies and gentlemen who oame a long distance to see and hear the performance. William Christie, Esq., Mayor of Oamaru. acted as chairman. In accepting the duty, he said that the time-honoured expression, about its being a pleasure to preside on such an occasion, would fall far short of what he really felt, for he felt that it was a r i honour to be asked, even as Mayor of Oamaru, to accept the chair at an entertainment given by the young ladies of tbe Convent School. That was what he felt, and he deemed further speech-making to be out of place ; indeed, personally, he was as eajer as be believed the audience were to enter upon the enjoyment of the entertains ent which had been provided by the accomplished young ladies oi the Convent School. We might here mention that the Convent in Oarnaru is a branch of the Dunedin Dominican Convent.

A beginning was at ouce made with the programme of the evening. Five performers wuh threo pianos gave an overture from Boieldieu's " Caliph cl Bagdad' ; then a suitable prologue was aptly spoken by a junior pupil ; after > hat five performers with three pianos played the " Marche des froubad jurs,' 1 wbich was succeeded by the pretty romantic drama, " The Heir tf tbe L' Estranges," in two acts. Between the acts Uossini's " L' Itahana " was played on three pianos by five peiformers, and it was a perfect treat, as H was plajc i iv a finished 6tyle in the true meaning of the composer. Good musicians are, as a rule, tbe production of goo teachers, and in this respect the nuns are to be congratulated on ihe abi lty shown by their pupils. At the close of the drama a pUnotorte duet from " Behsano," was played by the young ladies who in tbe play had sustained the ptrts of Earl and Countess of Edgecumbe. Iben the farce of "Box and Cox" was played with great spirit. All the pupils taking part in the entertainment united in singing Mr. Thomas Bracken'e National Anthem

of New Zealand, and then followed an epilogae, spoken by a little lady who had spoken the prologue. This is a matter-of-fact sum - mary of the programme, a detailed criticism of which we do not enter upon. Indeed, it is not necessary that we should do so, for the previous Derformance was noticed in our columns considerably in detail. The entertainment, as a whole, constituted a really artistic exhibition of the artistic accomplishments ot the audience's fair and youthful entertainers. The urop-curtain, scenes, and wings of the tiny stage testified to the exceptional skill ia painting of the pupils. W. 3 muit not omit to mention the singing of " Eugenia," which brought down tbe house, and, we bjheve, was never surpassei in Nw Z-alanl; as als > the solo, • Joyous Life,' by the same lady, wh< s • sweet Voice always tn»kes her so nccuptable at every gathering. In a word, the enteruiumeut was a thorough success, and must be remeubared by ihe audi-nee, on account of the high pleasure it gave t iom.