THE LATE OPERATIC FESTIVAL

New Zealand Tablet, 15 December 1910, Page 2065

THE LATE OPERATIC FESTIVAL

A RECORD ESTABLISHED A meeting of the committee of management, stallholders and their assistants, and of all who took an active part in the recent Operatic Festival was held in St. Joseph's School on Monday evening for the purpose of receiving the balance sheet of the festival. Among those present were his Lordship Bishop Verdon, Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., and Rev. Father Corcoran. In the early part of the evening a high-class concert was given by students of St. Dominic's College. The following was the programme: Piano solo, ' Rondeau a la polonaise '; violin solo, ' Landlicher sanz ' ; part song, Merry birds';' piano solo, Mazurka'; vocal solo, • The' worker '; vocal solo, Child of earth with the golden hair ' ; part song, ' Boat song.' The final item was a charade, ' Dumb-bells,' which caused much amusement. The vocal and instrumental items were given in a manner which reflected the highest credit on the performers and their teachers. At the conclusion of the musical programme Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., president and treasurer of the recent festival, read trie balance sheet, which showed that the gross receipts amounted to £3540 3s lOd, the expenditure being £523 15s 2d, leaving a credit balance of £3016 8s Bd. The receipts from the stalls, etc., were as follow: —Lily of Killarney, £C00; Geisha, £439 16s; Carmen, £313 10s lOd; Bohemian Girl, £261 4s M ; Maritaiia, £238 ss; Flying Dutchman, £233 Is Gd; Faust, £ll4 6s lOd; II Trovatore, £SB 8s sd; art union, £702 Is; door receipts and tug-of-vvar entrance, £283 8s; donations and receipts from advertising in programme, £265 19s 6d; collected by Misses McCabe, Casserley, Hogan, and Lawson, £3O 2s. Continuing, Father Coffey said he had much pleasure in handing to the Rev. Mother Prioress a cheque for the sum of £3016 8s Bd. He desired at the same time to express his sincere thanks-to the different persons who assisted in making the bazaar such a pronounced success. In the first place he desired to thank Miss Hamaiin for the excellent spectacular performances given under her direction, and also Messrs. Sonntag and Kilmartin for the great interest they had taken in the tug-of-war competitions. Mr. Sonntag was at his post every night at considerable inconvenience, especially as he lived a long distance out of town. The stallholders and the assistants deserved their most sincere thanks for the way they had worked not only during the festival but for several months before, preparing goods for their stalls. They certainly labored very hard, and showed by the enthusiastic manner in which they worked their sympathy for 'the Dominican Nuns. The Cathedral, South Dunedin, and North-East Valley choirs, and the soloists were also deserving of every praise for the manner in which they came night after night and delighted the audiences, ami every person who attended the bazaar knew of the great work performed by Mr. Hussey, the conductor of the choir, who had charge of the musical programme. He left nothing undone, on his part to ensure success. He had to return thanks to those outside the Catholic Church who by their sympathy and help contributed in no small degree to the success of the festival, and whose practical assistance was a lesson in charity and broad-mindedness. Their grateful thanks were due to Mr. J. Hamer (representing Messrs. Fuller) for the liberal manner in which he had met them in the matter of rent. The daily papers were deserving of thanks for the magnificent' notices which they gave of the festival day by day. They had a small working committee, consisting of Messrs. J. Hally (secretary), C. A. Shiel, J. J. Marlow, T. J. Hnssey, and A. J. Sullivan, each of whom had a special department of his own to attend to, and the result was that everything worked smoothly and the greatest harmony prevailed. " It was almost impossible to speak too highly of the admirable and tactful manner in which Mr. Hally discharged the duties of secretary. Their thanks were due to Mr. Frailer for very valuable assistance, and also to Rev.. Brothers Brady and Moore. In conclusion, Father Coffey said the result of the festival was a record not "lone for Dnn^rliT 1) 011 f, f or the Dominion, and for such they returned their most sincere

thanks to one and all who had contributed to its success. — (Applause.) His Lordship Bishop Verdon, on behalf of Rev. Mother Prioress and the Community of St. Dominic's Priory, thanked Father Coffey, the committee, and the ladies and gentlemen who contributed towards making the bazaar such a magnificent success. This result was due in the first place to the esteem in which the Dominican Nuns are held by Catholics and non-Catholics. For close on forty years they have labored in Dunedin with the utmost zeal and success, and had gained the esteem and admiration not alone of the people of the city but of the province, and all desired to assist the good nuns in getting rid of the heavy debt. Another matter that contributed to the success of the bazaar was the enthusiasm, shown by all the workers. Thanks were due to the past pupils who had shown their love and regard for the good nuns by assisting in every possible way to make the bazaar such a great success. Another thing that contributed" to its success was the admirable organisation amongst the members of the committee, whose business capacity gave an assurance of success from the first. Speaking for himself, his Lordship said the result of the undertaking made him proud of his people, and on behalf of the Dominican Nuns he tendered their best thanks to the committee, stallholders, and assistants, and all who had helped in making the bazaar such an unqualified success. Mr. ,J. .1. Marlow said he had been deputed by the Dominican Nuns to present Father Coffey with an oil painting, 'The Vale of Avoca' (painted by one of themselves), and ii silver dessert set mounted' in greenstone, as a token of their appreciation of the valuable work he had done in connection with the festival. Rev. Father Coffey thanked the nuns for their present. Mr. J. Hally, in thanking Father Coffey for his kind remarks concerning his own work as secretary, said that he was only a small link in the chain of workers on behalf of the festival. At the close of the speechmaking light refreshments were handed r< mid by the Sisters and other willing helpers.