ENTERTAINMENT AT THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OAMARU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 29, 17 April 1891, Page 18

ENTERTAINMENT AT THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL, O A M AR U.

(Tbe Oamara Mxil, April 10 )

THE pupils of St. Joseph's day school, assisted by the ladies of the choir of the Catholic Church and a number of the young men connected with the Church, gave a musical and dramatic entertainment in the school last night, The entertainments given ia connectioa with the Catholic Church have made themselves a name for being of an exceptionally meritorious nature, and that given last night was no exception to the general rale. Bishop Moran, of Dunedin, who is on a visit here, occupied the chair. The proceedings opened with the" Canary bird quadrille" as a piano duet by Misses Hannincr and Dooley. This was a well played item, and, though it offers no great technical difficulties, requires a certain amount of precision and an expressive touch. The children of ihe school followed with a chorus, 11 The bkylark," which gave ample evidence of their having received careful and judicious traiting. M»s Htgarty sang " D^ddy." Mr. Coughlin's cultivated tenor voice was heard to great advantage in tke " Dear little shamrock," and later on he eclipsed his previous effort by an expressive rendering of that pathetic interlude from the •' Princess," '• Home they brought the warrior dead." The choir sang the chorus " Evening Bells'' wiih marked precision and finish. "The Canadian Boat Song " was an it/finitely superior effjrt, and could scarcely bave been surpassed, Father Mackay taking the bass, and Mr. Ccughlin the tenor part. Miss Robertson, a young lady visitor from Dunedin, charmed the audience by her sprightly rendering of " I'm a merry Zingara." Tbe saucy insouciince of the song was very effective. This lady also sang '' Steer my bark to Erin's Isle," and bad to respond to a vigorous encore for her expressive and able vocalisation. Misses Harming and Dooley also played Matter's Walts as a piano duet. This was even better than their previous performance acd tbe music being of a rather higher class addel to its excellence. During the interval between the first and second portions of the programme, the Bey. Father Mackay came before tbe curtain and tbaokiDg the audience for their attention, a^ked their indulgence for a few unavoidable alterations in the programme, and expressed a hope that they would be satisfied with the entertainment, which was in many respects a new departure.

The second portion of the programme consisted of a dramatic performance entitled " The Man with the Carpet Bag," the characters being sustained by young men connected with the church. The piece is essentially humorous, with no tinge of vulgarity, and no involved plot, and succeeded in causing what it was aimed at to produce, viz.« incessant, hearty laughter. The parts were all well known, and played with ao astonishing amount of ease and naturalness, Mr. Martin, who sustained the title role, beiog perhaps worthy of a special word of commendation. The cast was as follows: — Pluckwell. Mr. D. Halpin ; Wrangle (a junior barrister), Mr. M. J. Power ; Grab, Mr J. P. C. Martin ; Grimes, Mr. T. M'Kwan ; Tom (a waiter), Mr. J. Byrne ; Stokes fa landlord), Mr. W. Reid ; coachman, Mr. J. Han ley ; and chambermaid, Mr. J, Toohey.