CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' SCHOOLS, DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 38, 8 July 1892, Page 25

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' SCHOOLS, DUNEDIN.

Tmc boys' annual speech night of the Christian Brothers' school, St Joseph's, Dnnedin, took place at the city Hall, on Tuesday night. There were present the Moat Bey Dr Moran, the Very Be* Father Mackay, the Bey Fathers Lynch, Adm, and Murphy ; his Worship the Mayor and Mrs Chapman ; Messrs J. B. CallaD, F. W. Petre, 0. B. Haughton, J. P. Armstrong, Dr Stenhonse, and very many others. The hall, in fact, was filled as fnll as it could hold by a highly appreciative audience. The programme began by a hymn— ••Our Lady of Perpetual Succour," sung by the Young Cecilians. This choir has made notable progress, and their singing is very much improved. Throughout the night they gave an admirable account of themselves— holding their own well, even in harmonies of consider, able difficulty. Their performance, besides the opening hymn, embraced the part soDgs " Fairy Land," " The meeting of the waters, 1 ' " The merry mill wheel," and a chorus, sung at the end of the night, °We must part, Farewell." Some of the former pupils of the school sustained the bass and tenor parts with excellent effect. The second item on the programme was the prologue, which was bravely spoken by Master John Oallan, who with intelligent expression and emphasis, a good voice, and a clear enunciation, made himself audible throughout the assembly. Master Stephen Bernech came fourth with the recitation "O' Brazil," which was admirably given by him, " The Bells," a simultaneous recitation by the elocution class followed. The distinctness with which the words were heard gave the best proof of the perfection of this performance. A qnartette of the Young Cecilians with Master William Clarke as bolo singer, then sang " Home and Mother " and " Stars of the summer night," both of which were much admired, and very deservedly so; Master William Clarke afterwards took part in a duet " Oh eter thus" with Master John McLean, in which the boys sang sweetly and correctly. Master McLean also sang as a solo, " She is far from the land," gaining an encore, for which he was excused on the pies of a cold. One of the chief events of the evening was an elocutionary contest, divided into two parts, and in which Masters Patrick O'Neill, Alfred Qnelch, Daniel Buckley, John Fraser, Gabriel Bast, Bichard Cotter and Edward Wilkins competed. The Bey Brother Hughes explained that in the school they had found it impossible to judge between the boys. They had, therefore, told them each to choose his own piece, and to have the matter decided on this occasion by judges chosen from among the audience for the purpose. The recitations were given by the boys with great intelligence— all of them without exception Bhowing striking proof of high elocutionary talent. Mr Callan, who, with Mr Haughton, had acted as judge in giving the decision arrived at was easily understood when he said that he and his colleague had found the task extremely difficult. They had, however, decided that the first prize should go to Master Wilkins, and the second to Master Quelch, basing their judgment on the natural manner in which these lads had spoken. Master Edward Petre led ofi the second part of the programme with the recitation " He never smiled again," of which he gave a very refined and feeling interpretation. The gymnastic class gave a couple of displays of their prowess, to music played on the piano by the Brother (Brother M'Gee), who acts as their instructor. These were club and wand exercises respectively, in which the boys Bhowed a very fine development of strength and agility. Other quartettes, suDg by picked members of the Young Cecilians were "Where art thou?" and "Laugh and grow fat." The perfection of the latter, however, worked its ruin, for its example proved so infectious that it set the audience roaring, and consequently it became almost inaudible. In the interval between the first and second parts of the programme, Brother Hughes, as he said, took an opportunity of blowing his own trumpet. The blast, however, was not very loud or alarming. He explained why the exhibition had been postponed to winter, owing first to the Bedemptorist mission at St Joseph's last summer, and, secondly, because the time was more convenient than that on former occasions, when preparations had to be carried on while tbe examination of the school was proceeding. The Bey Brother exhorted parents to send their boys regularly and punctually to Echool, and to be particular in seeing that they prepared their home lessons, being very chary about listening to excuses in this respect. He also appealed to his hearers to discourage too great :a devotion to football and cricket, which was now so general, These thingß,;he said, were very good in moderation, but by no means worth the devotion of a boy's whole time and attention- The Bey Brother thanked those benefactors who in any way had given to the school, namely, Irs Lordship Most Rev Dr Moran for all his kindness to the school, but especially for his providing a scholarship of the value of ten guineas for a deserving boy ; the local clergy for the interest they ever took in tbe school, and their attention to the spiritual wants of the children ; Bey Father Donnelly for a valuable prize and a donation of £2 ; his Worship tbe Mayor (Mr C. B. Chapmao) ; Messrs Hugh Gourley, J. Liston, P. MeArdle, J. J. Connor, for one guinea each j a rev. friend, Messrs P. Cotter, F. W. Petre, N. Smith, J. B. Callan, Sergeant O'Neill, and a former pupil, £1 each ; Mr D. W.

Woods and Mrs Mills, 10s ; Captain Bernech, the D.LO., the Phoenix Oonfeetionary Company and other ladies and gentlemen who gave prizes. Special thanks were due, he Baid, to Messrs P. MeArdle and J. Liston for keeping the school in coal during last winter, as also to Mrs Liston, Criterion Hotel, for co generously supplying the young performers with tea, cake, and sandwiches. The first priie for elocution, a beautifully framed crucifix, value 30s, was the gift of Mr P. W. Petre, architect, the second prize the gift of Mr P. MeArdle. At another interval Dr Btenhouse came on the platform. He said that, especially as a member of the Otago Board of Education, he took interest in educational matters. What he had seen to-night pleased him very much. Although the attendance was very large— an attendance, he believed, which hardly any other entertainment in Dnnedin could attract— he conld wish that it was still larger by the presence of tbe Minister for Education, the members of a few of our education boards, and of our national school teachers, because he was quite sure that if they were there that night they would learn something which would be of immense service to the children of New Zealand. He thought, like many others, that the education system of the day was faulty in being too dry, and too much given to mere cramming. He saw that the Christian Brothers in their teaching avoided this. They aimed at something better than barely crammibg their boys with dry details, at developing their higher qualities. He had learned that Catholics were willing to have their schoolsexamined by Government inspectors and to maintain the required standard of proficiency He thought they hud, therefore, a right to State aid for their schools. There was neither law nor justice in making them step-bairns . He had one fault to find with what he had heard this evening, he continued, he protested against what Brother Hughes had said about cricket and football. If these sports were checked he should find a great difference at the end of the year in his income. Dr Stenhonse concluded by a generous promise to give the Bchool a silver medal— with a line inscribed on the rim in memory of bis mother, who had been a daughter of the Emerald Isle. Throughout his speech the speaker was warmly applauded. In evtry respect the performance was an exceptionally good one. The, recitations of the boys gained an encore in several instances, and the audience were most agreeably entertained. The Christian Brothers are to be congratulated on the success attained by their pupils, and the striking marks of progress shown by them. The parents of the boys are also to be congratulated. A finer, brighter more talented, or better behaved lot of boys, or more highly qualified or more devoted teachers, it would be difficult to find. The piano used on the occasion had been kindly lent by the manager of tbe Dresden Company. Mr Vallis, organist of St Joseph's Cathedral, acted as accompanist. The platform and its surroundings had been nicely decorated, and the motto, « Cead mille failthe " occupied a prominent place above it. The medal so kindly promised by Dr Stenhonse will be presented to the dux of the school at Xmas to which occasion also the annual speech of the Most Bey Dr Moran has been postponed.