CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 37, 3 January 1890, Page 23

CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own Correspondent.)

It one may be allowed to judge from what he witnessed at the Marist Brothers' school concert and distribution of prizes held in their schoolroom on Thursday evening, it may be safely said that Brother Joseph and the other good Brothers are preparing for the Literary Society a good many brilliant additions to its ranks ; young fellows who bid fair to make a " stir in the world yet,' though perhaps they may not become exactly so great as the clever little boy, Daniel O'Connell, who promised himself to do that. But there must besoms brilliants come out of the host of little fellows, ranging from about six to twelve years, not many I should say to fourteen, who went through a rather difficult programme, and kept a very large audience in a state of interest and high amusement for about two hours. The first part of the programme was a chorus, " O'Donnell Aboo." For whistling a less treasonable air, " Harvey Duff," a little boy was put to gaol in the County LimericK. I wonder how the authorities would stand the chorus in the city of the " Violated Treaty. I believe the whole batch would be locked up to appear next morning, If all New Zealand boys could realise that, what staunch Home Rulers it would make of them. But I must get on with the programme. The next is a drama, '• Monsieur Le Cure." The performers were Masters J. McKendry, C. Goggin, M. O'Reilly, F. Morrell, J. Foley, and A. O'Brien— these lads entered with a will into the comical nature of the piece. The musical selections by ;the infant choir, won the admiration of the house. The novelty of the thing at once took. Those wbo have seen the Jung Frau Kappel who passed through New Zealand and appeared at our Shakespenan Festival about 12 months ago, will know the feat these children p< rformed when I tell them it was a capital imitation of the Swiss } erformers. The instruments which these children performed with might, from what they seemed to the audience, be tbe simple tin whittle, mouth organ, or other such unpretending article", but it was the harmony of sound which the lads sent forth, and the expjrtness with which they went through a very rapid series of musical evolutions, one moment with their batons, and each of the thirty or forty boys held one ; at another vutn the hands rapidly to the mouth to vary tte music and give tbat shrill, sharp variation, accompanying in quick aad rapid succession each varying note with a gesture of the nand or a flourish of the baon, and all so uniform, and responding as one to the leadership of another lad, Master O'Couuell. No wonder the audience pronounced it admirable. Brother Alfred got up this peiformance and was I believe composer of the music. No. 4 was a piece of acting called the " Home Scene "' in which was show>> up a lad who was always ready with an excuse for staying frum school, and pretty well succeeded with his indulgent mother. No doubt the sight brought young days back to many mature heads in the audience, who could recognise their part in it. Then there was the good boy so anxious to go to school, well and earnestly filled, but as f-wer of us could recognise ourselves in that part I sh-ill pass it with naming the actors : Masters Pender, O'Connell, Musson, and Heshp. Brian Boru'a adiress to his army was given with spirit by Master Leo Fanning, and a song, " Black Turf " was suag by Master Austin Euciis, with all the airs of an old practitioner in the art of getting his tongue aruuud what is commonly called the brogue. From the selling of a sod of turf to the classical " Brutus and Cassias '" is rather an ambid jus range, yet the Brothers ha l two hoys, Masters O'Mally and Laurensun who tackled the dialogue and got creditably through with it. The chorus " Dip, Boys, Dp the Oat," by the pupils was No. 8, and was under the leadership of Brotbir Fius. Masters T. Houghey and T. Duffy gave us a taste ot tut'ir powers in " Tre King and the Mtllerof Mansfield." No 9, a recila'ion, the '■ Midnight Murder," wasdoneby Master L. Brosnahan, and ibe " Dilatory K cholar "' was held up for our laughter in a recitation by Master Gelboy. A part song " The Cuckoo, 'by the pupils, was Y<_ry pleasingly rendered. The pianist of the evening was Mr. P. Mohr'. Tbe entertainmeut concluded with a laughable farce called tho " Alan with the Carpet Bag" the performers were Masters Goggin, Dobb«, J. Hi 'ley, D. Nee, M. Hoban, J. O'6hea, T. Uaughey, J. Taaffe. L. Fanning aud" W. Orraandy. A characteristic of all the boys W6B thattcey were letter perfect in tLeir parts, and all got through with-

out a hitch. This certainly evidences a great deal of care and attention on the part of the Brothers. At the conclusion Brother Jotepb tbanked those present for their attendance and asked Father Cummings to deliver tha prizes. The list of boys who came up to receive tbe reward of their labours is rather too long to include in this letter, especially as I know the Tablet has a great many such to publish, yet I cannot help noticiug that the firßt prize for Irish Hisiory, prewnted by Mr. Nolan, fell this ye>r to Master F. Haughey. Mr. Nolan, I see, gives an annual prize for this subject. The tecond prize, Mr. &. O'Connor's, was obtaioed by Maser K. Fouhy. Prizes were also presented by His Lordship tbe Bishop, Fathers Cummings, Haibwachs, Marnane, Donnelly (Oamaru), Messrs. Lonargan, Norton Taylor, Buchanan, McGarva, Edwards, Houlehan, Bell, and Stratz, Misses McHugo and Bradley. The distribution over, Father Cummings addressed those present, Ho said he was sure that all would feel gratefol to tbe Brothers for the care, attention and zeal with wLich they had watched over the education of tbe boys, as evidence! by the performance anl the distribution of prizes that evening. The excellent dialogues, and the manner in which the boys had filled in their parts ehowed that great pains had been taken with them, yet all this had been done outside school duties, and had been a task on the Brothers and scholars alike. Under tbe Marist Brothers not only were the children educated up to the highest standard, but a strictly moral and religious training wae inculcated. He likened education without religious training to a dressing of varnish, which, while hiding many blemishes soon peeled off and rendered the place more ugly than before. They might as well try to commence teaching children the No. 2 standard as instruct them in the various branches of education without giving them a good moral and religious training. The children were the bud, and from them the fruit was to grow ; and if the bud was not well nourished the fruit would fail. The speaker also took occasion to refer to the history and progress of the Marist Brothers. In spe iking of their work and sacrifice for the benefit of the rising generation, he said that this year was the centennial of the founder of the Brothers. Father Champagnant was born in 1789, and when he formed the first school in 1817 and iuduced four Brothers to enter into the work he had little idea that it would soon be so vast an institution, or so useful as it has pioved to be. The institution was now known the world over, and had more than 4000 brothers educating the young and devoting themselves and their property to this self-sacrificing work. Speaking of the Christchurch branch, Father Oummings said that there were now 370 boys in regular attendance at the school, and the Brother Provincial, who had paid the district a visit had expressed b.mßelf highly satisfied with tbe results of his examination. Father Cummings also told us that it was only as far back as 1872 thai four of tbe Marist Brothers had come south of the line. From those few had arisen an immense brotheihood, who were devoted to the success of their project, and whose Bole object was to carry the torch of Christian education to the uttermost ends of the earth. They had great odda to contend agunst. They had not only to build their own schools, but to maintain them free of State assist ance But Catholics were bound in principle to educate their own children. Hence the noble self-sacrifice of the Brothers was mure to be admired. Tbe Bey. Father in conclusion s*i 1 that he wa9 glad to ste the great improvement made to the school-room since last year ; this had been found necessary, and smca its completion had proved of great avail. But it had been done at the self-sacrifice of the Brothers, who had the option of either building their house or extending their school — the limited fnnds would not allow of their doing both together. They said we will stop in the hut, let the school be extended. Father Cummings ended by saying that he hoped when the Provincial comes next year that he will see the hut removed. The parents of tbe children, and the people generally ought to lay this last part of the proceedings to heart. The chorus •• Uud Bless the Pope," brought the prize distribution of 1889 to a close. It is to be hoped that in tbe gathering of next year will be noticed no thinning of the ranks of the friends who thus wound up an evening of pleasure and profit, but that the change, if any, will be noticed in the next assemblage by the large increase in tbe number of the friends and supporters ; amongst the rest, that the meeting will have the pleasure of his Lordship the Bishop's presence, who this year is, I believe, on his way to Auckland for the benefit of hfs health. The Brothers leave for the Retreat in Wellington on Monday. Besides Father Cummings, tbe other clergymen present were Fathers Le Menaut des Chesuais, Marnane, Aubrey, Haibwachs and Donnelly (Oamaiu). Tbe Convent schools al-o gave their distribution of prizes, on the same day, but as the published list will in due course appear in your culumns it will not be necessary to touch on it here. la my last letter I wrote that a number of gentlemen at the invitation of Mr. Barrett, met the delegates at dinner at Barrett's Family Hotel. I now see that at the last meeting of the Committee it was resolved that they would not draw from the fund for money to meet such entertainment, as was firßt proposed. That this expense is to be met by each individual member of the Committee contributing towards the dinner fund. Tbis action will meet with the hearty approval of the people of Christchurch.