OAMARU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 52, 27 December 1900, Page 4

OAMARU.

The concert given in St. Joseph's Schoolroom last evening (says the Oamaru Mail, December 14) was in every way a splendid success. The audience was quite as numerous as the comparatively small accommodation would admit of. Of the items the choruses by the children were all exceptionally good, and showed much more respect for time and tune than is usually evinced by those so young. The solos to these came as a surprise, sung by maids of very limited gammers with the utmost samjfroid, and sung very well. Of the choruses, the pick was ' Birdie, 1 and although the action song ' Fairy moonlight' was very cleverly and prettily executed, the evolutions militated, as they must do, against the volume of sound. A pianoforte duet by Misses O'Grady and Potter showed that careful training and preparation for which the convent has been so long famed. This indeed, and much more, may be said of all the pianoforte items. Perhaps the best of these was that so prettily and artistically played by Miss Hannon. Wo have all heard Mrs. Lynch sing and know how to appreciate her fine voice, but not only must her singing, but also her kindness in journeying from Timaru to perform, be appreciated. As her solos Mrs. Lynch chose those best suited for such a performance, namely ' The greatest gift,' and, aa an encore, ' The last rose of summer.' Her second song, ' She wore a wreath of roses,' came in for greater applause than itß predecessor, end then Mrs. Lynch sang that song which, without doubt, is the greatest favorite with the children of Hibernia, ' Killarney.' As a third song, the same soloist chose ' The Kerry dance.' and the audience, appreciating the splendid rendering, again claimed an encore, which was supplied in the form of * Dublin Bay.' The beat known of all farces, ' Cox and Box,' in which Miss Fagan and Messrs. Harming and Byrne took the respective parts, dismissed the audience in a happy frame of mind. The whole performance reflects the greatest credit on the Sisters for their indefatigability in organising such an entertainment. Referring to the exhibition of work in St. Joseph's schoolroom on Friday last the same paper says that the numerous visitors could not fail to be impressed with

the value of the work carried on in Oamaru by the Dominican Nuns. The exhibition of works of art fully demonstrate the careful training the pupils receive at their hands. Such an array of work on the tables and pictures on the walls shows the result of months of determined work, and the excellence attained must be more than satisfactory to both teachers and pupils. There were quite a number of cushions, cosies, etc., worked with very natural raised flowers in every conceivable material, with lovely tints in poona. The many articles worked in arrasene, filoselle, and rococo all added to the variety. Then there n r erc pen and ink drawings on linen done by tiny little scholars, who surprise their own parent! by developing an aptitude for puch accomplishments. The pictures and drawings for the art union were also exhibited, and assisted in making the exhibition a mo«t interesting one. The articles of needlework and the wonderful drawings of little Horace Benson were extremely original. The nuns d ser\e great praise for the patient, zealous labor bestowed upon the training of the youthful mind and the fact that the pupils are loth to sever their connection with the school is an evidence of the good feeling and lasting friendship that exists among all.