NATIONAL CELEBRATION IN DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 47, 23 March 1894, Page 25

NATIONAL CELEBRATION IN DUNEDIN.

So far as gala observances were concerned, St Patrick's day cannot be said to have been favourable in Dunedio. A breezy, showery morning developed ia the forenoon into a thick down-poor — something of the nature of a Scotch mist, but rather beaTier, which continued for the remainder of the day. Attendance, therefore, at the Garrison Hal), where the festival was celebrated by s concert, took place under difficulties. Ao Irish Catholic community, however, may be depended on to encounter diffieultiis in order duly to bononr the feast, and consequently the ball was well filled. The audience waa also notably representative of the members of other nationalities ar»d creeds. The hall had been tastefully adorned for the occasion. The green (lag with its harp of gold occupied the principal place, in the centre. Festoons of foliage ornamented the walls, and on the platform, gay with coloured lamps, were handsome plants in ornamental pots. On one wide of the proscenium was hung the British flag and on the other the tri-colour. The programme opened with an arrangement of Irish airs — " Bongs of Ireland," by Webb — which was played with excellent effect by a very competent and well-traintd orchestra, under tbe conduc'orship of Mr Parker. Another selection— " The 'Shamrock'" by Manning— also performsd ia a particularly pleasing manner by the orchestra, began the second part. As to the singers: — Mrs Rose saog with charming sweetness "The Meeting of the Waters" — an oft repeated strain, but one not often bo delightfully heard. The lady bowed her acknowledgments of an encore, which she declined. Such was the case, in her turn, likewise, with the other lady singer— Miss Kitty Blaney. Miss Blaney's sorjg was another of the " Melodies " that is, " Rich and Bare." It is not too much to say that it was exquisitely sung. Every charm was lent to the verses that a voice, sweet, soft and rich, a clear and distinct pronunciation, and a true and sympathetic expresion could lend them. Mr James Jago, whoee name was second on gthe programme, sang the "Minstrel boy" with admirable spirit, repeating the second versa as an encore. An effect produced by the singer's taking the concluding notes an octave higher owed its striking success to the tine qnali'y of his voice. Mr Jago afterwards sang with good expression Lady Dufferin's touching song, "The Irish Emigrant. Master Joe Ward came third on the programme, with Balfe's >( Killarney," which heeang very prettily. His encore song. " I saw from the Beich," was sung not only sweetly but with an intelligent interpretation. The little singer was nicely accompanied on the piano by Master B. Evett, one of bis senior schoolmates. Mr Arthur Salvini who followed gava a famous rendering of the humorous recitative aod Bong, " Tis a charming girl I love " from Benedict's "Lily of Killarney. ' MrSilvini'a brilliant tenor was well suited to the music an<l his artistic training and experience enabled him to give due expression to the words. A slap administered by Mr Salvini t iv giving the refrain of the song, to bis right leg brought that mem. ber into prominent notice, and produced quite an unique effect— at least on those who were in close proximity to (be platform. Mr Salvini also took pare with Mr Jago, in a duet, '■ The moon has raised her Lamp abovr," from the sime opera, in which likewise, his singing was extremely fine. A violin solo played by Mr F. J. Liod- | sell, on the theme of Moore's "The Harp that Ooce," waa a masterly | piece of instrumentation. Mr Lindsell is a violinist who ranks high in the manipulation of his instrument, and is evidently |a finished 1 musician. His tone and bowiog were particularly good. We shall look for his name on the programmes of future concerts. Mr Harry , Smith sang Moore's " Believe me if all those endearing young ' charms " and Thomas's " Eileen Alannab," giving as an encore, by ■ special request, JuJe'a " Home, boys, home." Mr Smith wss quite ! up to his usual form, and bis singing was, therefore, meat enjoyable. Mr W. Farjahar Young sang, first 'The wearing of the green/ giving ia response to an encore another version of the words. His 1 sec-md song was the " Cruiskeen lawn," with "Off for Pbiladelpby " as an encore, Mr Young's sonorous bass did ample justice to the > music, and bis powi rs of expression gave t fleet to the words, > But when will the day come, if ever, when the language of the Gael receives the justice done to every other tongue? On every programme, if the title of the song is French, the spelling is French, If it is Italian or German, such also is the spelling. The Irish word.'

alone an spelled, or rather altogether misspelled, in English. '• Cruiskeen lawn," for example. There is neither a" k " nor a" w " in the Irish alphabet. Neither is the letter "c " pronounced in Irish v it is in English ; nor is it doubled, nor does the English " eea " give the true sound of the Irish diminutive. Iriab, besides, is a written language, was go, in fact, *Dd was used, too, in deeply learned writings, long before the English tongue had emerged from barbarism. The letters in which it is written were brought from Rome by the missionary saints, no doubt by St Patrick himself, and this should afford a sufficient reason for refusing to exchange tbem for thosa now in common übo elsewheie. Rat, if not with the Irish, or old Latin, letters, at least with the more modern letters, properly representing them. Irish words, like any other foreign words in English publications, shonld be spelled. No attempt is made by English writers to spell French or Italian or German words phonetically, and such an attempt would be ridiculous. The reform in question might be appropriately proposed to the Gaelic Society, which has been lately founded to secure the survival and spread of the ancient tongue, and which —as our readers may see from quotations frequently made by ni— has already done much in that direction. But to continue our task, Mr [P. Carolin sang the " Dear little shamrock," and, in response to an encort, "My sweetheart when a boy." Mr Carolin has made of late a decided advance in his singing. Nature has endowed him with a tenor voice of exceptionally pleasing quality , and training Jhas {enabled him to make a very creditable use of it. In both his songs he well deserved the applause bestowed on him. Mr A. Vallis played as a pianoforte solo a fantasia on Irish airs — •' L'lrlande," t by Sivrai— in which •' The girl I left behind me " took a pnncipal^place, and went through many intricate though harmonious evolutions. The performance was remarkably fine. The singers were accompanied by Miss Kate Moloney, who fulfilled the duty with her accustomed taste and ability. Though last, not least, nor, indeed, last J in the order of proceedings, for their performance took place at the termioation of the first portion of the programme, a corpi of the Christian Brothers' boys went through a series of club exercises, one of the Brothers accompanying them on the piano. The exercises were nationalised for the occasion, taking— from the dress worn by the corps, we presume— the qualification of " Old Irish." The boys were dressed in cut-away coats of green satin and white vests, tights, and stockings, with a bow of green ribbon at the knee.—

We may add, by way of parenthesis, that all tbe performers showed the green in one shape or another, They (the boye) were under|the supervision of a captain wearing a cocked hat, and otherwise rigged out suitably for the fulfilment of his difficult office, which indeed was discharged by him con amore.

The Very Bey Father Lynch, during an interval in the programme, came on the platform and returned thanks to the performers for their services, and to the audience for their presence. He said that he had again to express his sorrow at the absence of the Bishop. Last year his Lordship's presence had been expected, and conse qnently there was disappointment. This year such was not the case. The Bishop, whoie health, they would be glad to hear, still showed amendment, had been mopt interested in the success of the concert. He (the speaker) had gone into his Lordship's bedroom early that morning and found the subject occupying his thoughts. He had of bis own accord remarked on the unfavourable state of the weather. "Bat never mind," be said, "in any case you will have a good attendance." Last year he (the very rev speaker) had explained to the audience the object with which in future the concerts on this night would be held— that of erecting a Catholic hall. Immediately afterwards a gentleman, as a mark of approbation bad given him £5 towards the fund. That sum had grown considerably. The speaker here said that the audience might applaud if they liked— and the permission given wss very fully responded to. He (the speaker) would like to see applause of another kind— an aspiration that was again supported very audibly by tbe hearers. We may, however, remark in passing, that throughout the night the applause, though frequent and enthusiastic, was given in an orderly and wellconducted manner. There was a total absence of whistling or any other approach to rowdyism, such as not unfrequently mars tbe enjoyment of entertainments in this city. But, indeed, freedom from this is admitted to distinguish the entertainments of tbe Catholic community. Father Lynch concluded by reading tbe following statement, by calling attention to which, we, for our part, conclude our report,

" Twelve months ago, His Lordship Dr Moran gave his warm approval to a scheme for carrying out a project on which he had long sst bis heart. Daring the twelve yean that I have had the happi-

ness of liviDg with the Bishop, and the pleasure of working with you in Dunedin, Dr Moran has very many times expressed the wish that a ball might be built or secured which we could call our owo , and where our people could meet for business and self -improvement. This has bees one of his pet schemes. Last year 8t Patrick's Day became vacant ss far as concerts and entertain m eats were concerned . The idea suggested itself of having an annual concert of national song, and devoting the proceeds to ?ome worthy object. The longcherished thought of having a hall took shape in the proposal to set aside the net receipts until such a sum should be in band as would enable the ball to be opened free of debt. Dr Morao warmly commended the project. Dr Moran now highly approves of this work, and everything that has been done has been done with bis sanction, not once but many times given. A short lime ago. during hit illness, hie Lordship was Beated at the window of his sick room, and looking out at the splendid pile of ecclesiastical buildings in full view, he said : " There is one tbing we want — one building I should dearly like to see added to all these. If we had a small hall near the cathedral, it would crown the work." His Lordship is enthusiastic in the matter of acquiring a hall where ordinary meetings of our various societies may be easily held. Do not run away with the idea that a large hall, such as the Garrison Hall, is contemplated. What is wanted is not a music hall or concert hall. It is not contemplated to erect or acquire a hall which will interfere with any existing hall, but it is contemplated to secure a hall in which work may be done and meetings held which now, at much inconvenience to all parties, have to be held in unsuitable schoolrooms. We want a hall where a young men's society may meet, where a young women's society may meet, where all organisations of self improvement, of charity, and of religion may meet in comfort, and readily transact their business. Speaking lately to a French bishop the Holy Father Leo XIII, said that the time had now come when the priest must go out from the church and presbytery ; he must talk to the workingmau personally and interest himself in all that concerns the welfare of the people. He must bring all the influence of his high calling to bear on settling the questions of the hour, and helping society to aim and work for noble ends. The possession of a comfortable, well-appointed ball, with library and other educational adjuncts, will be a valuable factor in refining and elevating the young,and in giving opportunity to those who are older of devoting themselves to laudable and socially useful

work. What we want is not a hall large, cold, and cheer Use, but a bright and cheerful ball, just sufficiently large for all practical purposes. When this idea was first mentioned in this building lut year the great round of applause which greeted the proposal showed that tbe movement was a popular one. Immediately after leaving the Garrißon Hall a gentleman said : "lam delighted with that idea. Put my name for £5 as a first subscription." The monty was paid tbe following week, and practically began the work. That five pounds is just a year old to-night. It has grown very considerably in its quiet corner. Id fact it has grown so large that its former owner would not recognise it. And, please God, it will continue to grow. Tbe movement, begun with the warm approval and blessing of our beloved bishop, will prosper until, at no very distant date, we shall have, useful for many social and religious purposes, this long-wished for and long thought of hall. With that hall, as with the other Catholic buildings which adorn our fair city, Dr Moran's name will be always associated. In that ball we shall have another memorial of tbe farseeing wisdom of him who, as his sickness has shown, has won tbe unbounded love of his own people, and tbe great respect of bib fellowcitizens of all shades of opinion. I ask you, especially the young, to wish success to this movement, that we soon may have the hall ardently desired by Dr Moran."

A very curious and interesting circumstance, says the London correspondent of the Cork Examiner, was mentioned in the course of a discussion which followed Mr W. B. Yeates' lecture tbe other day in Londoo on " Irish Folk Lore," before the Irish Literary Society. Father Browne, a priest attached to an East End mission, stated that negro sailors from the Bahama Islands who speak Irish are now and then to be met with at the dockf, and that they engage tbe services of tbe old Irishwomen who sell things to sailors as interpreters. These negroes are the descendants of the 20,000 Irish men and women and children who were expatriated to tbe West Indies and sold as slaves by order of Cromwell after the suppression of the Catholic Confederation in the middle of the seventeenth century. It is a well-known fact that Irish family names largely prevail among tbe coloured inhabitants of the Bahama Islands, Barbadoes and Jamaica ; but that sufficient of tbe old Irish language to enable tbe negroes to make themselves understood by Irish-speaking personsshould have survived the changes of 250 years in the West Indies is a very extraordinary piece of information.