Palmerston North

New Zealand Tablet, 25 February 1915, Page 26

Palmerston North

(From our own correspondent.) An energetic committee lias arrangements well forward for the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. A grand national concert is to be held in the evening, for which the best talent has been engaged. During the past fortnight plans for buildings, estimated to cost £27,000, have been examined by the borough engineer. It is predicted by contractors that this will be a, record year for the building trade in Palmerston North. The people of Palmerston have learned with pleasure that Dr. A. A. Martin, of this town, has been mentioned in Sir John French’s despatches for his magnificent work on the battlefield. Dr. Martin has written to the local papers a number of very interesting letters relating to the war. New Plymouth ’The Holland Hall, New Plymouth, was well filled on the occasion of the concert, organised by St. . Joseph’s Choir in aid of,the poor in Great Britain and Belgium

4 -■ • % ■••• ■ . ‘ . ' • V A . /• . ’V , ■ ‘ relief funds, which should benefit considerably as a result. An excellent programme was submitted, and the audience showed their appreciation by insisting 1 upon recalls. The ladies responsible for the organisation— Mesdames McCleland, Drury, and Bevan, and Misses Radford, Francis, and Lumsdenhave every cause to feel satisfied with the results. The stage was tastefully decorated, Mr. B. Vinsen rendering valuable■ assistance in this department, and also in the arrangement of the hall. , The following programme was submitted: ‘ Overture, ‘ Anthems of the Allies,’ Mrs. George’s orchestra; song, ‘Hungarian cradle song,’ Miss Rea, Miss M. Ambury accompanying, and as an encore ‘ Waiata Poi’; banjo solo, ‘Fire away,’ Mr. Gadd (encore, ‘Kilties’); recitation, two recruiting stories, ‘ Fall in ’ and ‘Buck up,’ Captain Allen (encore, ‘ A scrap of paper’); Highland fling, Miss Cameron (encored); monologue, Beetthoven avenue,’ Mr. R. Head (encored); violin solo, ‘ Cavatina,’ (encore, ‘ Themes from “Ave Maria”), Mr. R. George; song, ‘Blow, blow,’ Mr. R. Hill-Joljnson (encore, ‘Little man’); euphonium solo, Answer,’ Mr. Austin; overture, ‘Panama Pacific march,’ orchestra; song, ‘Sleeping camp,’ Mr. Lambert (encore, ‘lnvitation ’) ; song, ‘ My ain folk,’ Miss Cameron (encored); song, ‘ I’ll sing thee songs of Araby,’ Mr, Haslam (encore, ‘Two eyes of grey) ; song, Remember me no more,’ Mrs Drury (encore, ‘ Somewhere a voice is calling’); musical sketch, ‘Strolling musicians,’ Mr. B. Vinsen (encored) ; duet, ‘Life’s dream is o’er,’ Mesdames Drury and George (encore, ‘ Whispering hope ’); recitation, ‘ The absent-minded beggar,’ by Captain Allen, who went round with the tambourine at the conclusion and collected £1 17s; orchestral selection, ‘lnvincible eagle.’ ‘ God save the King’ brought a very successful programme to a close. Miss George presided at the piano, and accompanied the singers sympathetically on a piano lent for the occasion by Mr. Hoffman. Mr. J. Henrichs was stage manager.