OMAKAU

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 10 January 1907, Page 19

OMAKAU

A' most successful concert in aid of the funds of ; the Catholic presbytery was held at Ophir on Jamr-?-.; ary 1 (wrfites a. correspondent). The concert ~ opened .' with' a pianoforte selection by Mr»" McLean. Mr. Law-. ' son contributed ' The Irish emigrant ' and other songs, z which were given with much taste.- Mr. Docherty sang % ' Dublin Bay ' "-- and was warmly encored. Miss Anderson (Ida Valley) sang ' Mavourneen ' in, a very . sympathetic manner, and Miss G. Mcßride (Rough Ridge) gave a pleasing^rendeiJing of ' The singer was Irish;' Mrs. Murphy sang very sweetly ' Forget thee.' Misses tx. Mcßride ' and M . Mcßride "contributed a duet - - which was very warmly applauded. f The accompaniments were. played by the Misses Frances Parson, (Omakau) and G^ Taylor (iOtphir)j." "Mr: A. Kinney acted as_ chairman during the evening. The proceeds -will amount to about £25.

At the conclusion of the . programme Rev. Father O"Dea thanked the performers, and said it was "evident" , from the repeated encores that the performers had acquitted themselves to the satisfaction of everyone present. He also thanked the audience for- 1 their attendance. He then announced that the drawing of " the art union would take - pface immediately r and called uponDr. Beaucoup, Messrs. Peter Flannery, Peter Anderson, - and John McLaughlin to supervise the drawing. Rev. 'Fat/her Hunt (Cromwell) and Rev. Father McMullan (Ranfurly) were present, and rendered valuable" assistance. Father ODea, before proceeding with the drawing, said that he.'-feltT deeply grateful to"" Catholics' and non-Catholics,- not only in- his own district, but throughout the Colony, who had seT generously responded to ' his appeal and enabled him to make the art union a financial success. He then announced that the... money in hand up to" date e'xeeeded £400, a statement' that was received with warm applause by the ,- meeting. A list of the winning numbers in the art union appears elsewhere ' in this issue.

As will be seen on reference to our- advertising columns Miss Marie Narelle will commence the ■ Dunedin season at His Majesty's Theatre on Monday evening next. Concerts will also be , given on Wednesday, January 16, and Thursday, January 17.

This is what the Sydney ' Freeman's Journal ' said' - of her concerts in the JMew South Wales capital :— Whether warbling with expressive fidelity to the mood, a humorous love song of an Irish boreen, or summoning with fiery ardour the forces of Tryconnel to the fury of the fray, as in ' O'Donnell Aboo,' Miss Narclle expresses the soul and ■ spirit of her song. Jler four years' absence has ripened, so to speak, the rich vocal qualities of her soprano voice, - which s-he uses_ , with all the art and effectiveness of the experienced artiste. As a singer of the ballads beloved of the Celt, she. has no compeer, and in this respect" she received from her own folk in Sydney a splendid en-dorsement-of the verdict already accorded her in other lands.