Diocese of Dunedin.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIV, Issue 34, 25 December 1896, Page 6

Diocese of Dunedin.

IXVERCA E G I L L.

December 1!>. ISiKi. (From an occasional correspondent.)

The annual concert of the pupils of St. Joseph's Convent School took place on last Wednesday. The programme was opened with a chorus, " Welcome." very nicely sung by all the children. The next item was a recitation, "A city tale.'' by seven of the pupil-.. The juveniles then put in a claim, and two of their number played very sweetly " Robm Adair." About a dozen little fairies then recited '• The lost kitten." in which they described, oh. so mournfully, how they had lost a certain little pussy, and went on to say that one could not tell what might happen when big men tied up something in a sack and dropped the lot in the stream. Then we had a pretty piano solo, "The birdies' ball," and then a chorus. •■ Erin the tear, ' by all the pupils, which was excellently given. Other eh ruse-. were, " List to the convent bells " and •• When thro' lite." The solo in the former was taken by Miss A. Wills, who is the possessor ot a very sweet little voice. The same young lady also played very nicely a piano solo. " Alice." A recitation, ''The spectacles," given by a number of the pupils, who, with the solemnity befitting such an auspicious occasion, proceeded to try on several pairs of spectacles, only to confess in the end that there was nothing wrong with the spectacles, there was only this trifle, that they thein88lves were unable to read. Miss Butler acquitted herselt very \\«11 in a violin solo on Scotch airs. This was followed by a piano duet, '• Warblings at eve," simply but tastefully played by two young ladies. A further reminiscence of the Emerald Isle was given next in the piano solo •■ Come back to Erin," by Miss Pa.sco. The nuns are to be commended for fostering in the children a love ot music of this kind, and that of the chorubes. so racy of the soil, whose popularity has stood the test of time, and which, unlike a vast portion of our ephemeral latter-day ballad music, pretty tor the hour, but then forgotten, will last not for a day but for all time. The recitation " A daughter of Meath," told in beautiful language the story of the overcoming of Turgesius and the driving of hia followers from the Green Isle. The Very Rev. Dean Burke addressed some words of encouragement to the children and wished them all a Merry Christmas. On Friday last the year's work of St. Catherine's Convent (.High School) came to a close. There was a very lar^e attendance ot parents and friends of the children in the large schoolroom. The piano duets on the programme always received considerable applause, the strict time kept when three pianos were playing together showing long and patient training. The piano solos were also very well played, and reflected much credit on the talents of the pupils and on the ability of their teachers. A solo and chorus, " Children's Voices," was a pretty number ; the solo was taken by Miss R. Cross, who pang very sweetly and sympathetically all through. The last chorus, " Drifting." was. if anything, even better than the one just

mentioned. A very effective recitation was the one entitled " Mother's Face," in which five or six rosy -cheeked little chaps stood boldly forward to tell us the things they liked best in the world. One liked one thing, another liked something else, but the last little fellow took the hearts of all by saying that what he liked best in the world was his mother's face. Two other recitations, " Abou Ben Adhem" and " Ivan the Czar," by the senior pupils, were very well given.i yen. The kind* rgarten performance by about twenty of the little ones was a most pleasing number, the unaffected, confident air with which they moved about being very amusing. A recitation, " A Model Child," was given with charming simplicity by little Miss McGrath, who described a little girl who always knew her lessons, who was never known to have a button off her shoe, who always put away her toys at night, and who was always ready to run messages ; but what a shock we received when we were told that this young lady lived in " Nowhere street," in " No man's land." And yet we were not sorry, that little lady was too oppressively good. At the conclusion of the programme the Very Rev. Dean Burke presented the prizes to the successful pupils, after which he made a short address, thanking the children for their entertainment, and hoped they would come back from their holidays with nerves braced for another year of hard work. The prooei'dings then closed and for a long time tho-<e present were engaged inspecting the beautiful work displayed in the rooms. They were loud in their praises and indeed the work well deserved it. Several fine paintings were hung round the walls. Two rich panels in oils, of stags, and one in water colours of the barque Gazelle, by Miss Waterston, excited much notice and formed a group very creditable to the artist. A very unusual piece of work was an oil painting by Miss Watson, the touching having been very heavily done till the central figure, the trunk and branches of a tree, stood out in relief. Some very skilful work in bas-relief by Miss Shaw was much admired. A notable panel was one by Miss A. Macdonald in raised wool-work, representing a parrot perched on the branch ot a tree ; the blending of the material and general outline was perfect. Miss Spence exhibited, amongst other things, a beautiful fire screen worked in real art embroidery. Miss Northcote had also some very fine specimens in arascene and wool-work. There were also many other pieces of work well worthy of remark, in fact wherever one turned there was something fresh to admire. The work displayed on the table devoted to the kindergarten must not be forgotten as it shows what wonderful results may be accomplished by little hands when skilfully directed. It is, of course, very clever of the children to acquit themselves no creditably ; it is a pleasure to mark the perfect order, the freedom from hurry and the confidence that showed itself in all their movements, but what shall we say, then, of those who had to train them to this standard .' A heavy examination has justj ust been most creditably completed ; the school is a large one and the attendance, owing to various causes, not at all that could be wished ; yet in spite of all this the good Sisters have found time to prepare the children for entertainments of the kind under notice. These facts speak more eloquently than any words of the devotedness of the nuns, of their zeal in the good cause, and of high efficiency in their work and fortunate indeed are the children who possess such teachers. Ad viultoa annos. The following is the prize list : — PRIZE LIST. Senior and intermediate grade-*. — English . Miss R. Cross, honourable mention. Miss R. Maher. Mathematics and book-keeping : Miss R. Maher. Hon. mention. Misses Cross and K. Macdonnell. English history : Miss Mary Malone. French : Miss K. Macdonnell, hon. mention, Miss E. Feldwick. Class A — English : Misses K. Macdonnell and E. Feldwick. Class B — English : Miss J. Keleher, hon. mention. Misses M. Feldwick, M. McKeown, E. Northcote, and J. Roche. Elementary science : Miss M. Feldwick. Composition : Miss Eva Northcote. Junior school. — Class A — English : Miss F. Brebner, hon. mention, Miss E. Ward. Diligence : Miss Eileen Ward. Class B — English and attendance : Mi&s C. Sheehan. Arithmetic : Misses L. Walsh and M. McDonough. French : Miss K. McGrath. General improvement : Misses B. Willis. W. Wolfe and M. Deschler. General Prizes. — Writing : Misses R. Miher, R. Cross, E. Feldwick, I lacdonnell. Freehand drawing: 1. Miss M. Crean; 2, S. Roche. Class singing : Miss McKeown ; h.in.. Misses Barry, V. Cross and F. Brebner. Music : 1, Miss R. Cross ; 2, Misses M. Feldwick. N, Barry, M. McKeown, E. Northcote, E. Ward. Sketching and painting from nature : Miss Waterston. Drawing and model drawing : Misses N. O'Gorman, M. Thompson. Barbotine : Miss A. Shaw. Painting (water colour) : Misses Northcote and Kingsland. Art needlework . Misses Maher. Cross, Kingsland, Feldwick, Shaw. A. and K. Macdonnell, Keleher, Gilroy, Crean, Northcote. Plain needlework : 1, Miss A. Macdonnell : h.m.. Misses R. Macdonnell, E. Feldwick, R. Cross ; 2. Mis* Isabel Miller. Politeness : Misses Feldwick and Kin^land Christian Doctrine : 1, Miss K. Maher ; h.m., Misses K. Macdonnell. N. Crean, J. Keleher, E. and M. teldwick, A. Macdonnell ; 2, Miss Carrie Sheehan. Good conduct (juniors) : Miss Isabel Millar. Prize awarded by the votes of her companions to the most obedient and amiable girl in the school : Miss Edith Feldwick. Kindergarten. — Arithmetic and kindergarten work : Minnie Meiedith. Singing and fancy needlework : Violet Cross. General improvement : Tilly Morton. Attendance and lessons : Lizzie Finnerty. Sinking and lessons • Minnie Collins. Reading and tables : Janet Miller. Spelling and needlework : Frances Bryne. Reading and drill : Cissie Barry. \Vriting . Sarah Nash. Good conduct and English :JohnStaunton. Reading and recitations : Arthur Bryne. Catechism and attendance : John McAllister. Spelling and drill : Owen McAllister. Arithmetic md reading : Teddie Wills. Gcod conduct and singing : Vincent McKeown. Reading and recitation : Cecil Stuart. Attention : Kitty -Bryne. Improvement : Lavender Cross.