Napier

New Zealand Tablet, 19 October 1916, Page 24

Napier

(From our own correspondent.) October 12. Each month numbers of our Catholic boys are going off to the various camps. Their absence is distinctly noticed from the congregation.. Monsignor Gillan arrived from Gisborne at the end of last week, and after a short stay proceeded to Auckland. He is engaged in the laudable work of organising the Catholic Federation in the Auckland diocese, x The Rev. Dr. Casey, is to conclude his course of sermons on ' The Church and the Bible' on next Sunday evening in St. Patrick's Church. The large congregations have greatly appreciated his successful efforts. At the Masses last Sunday Rev. Father Ainsworth made an appeal on behalf of the suffering poor of Dublin. A collection will be taken up next Sunday at the church doors, the Hibernians taking charge of the arrangements. For some weeks past a movement has been on foot to hold a ' monster patriotic concert' in aid of the Catholic Chaplains' Field Service Fund. From the moment the matter was put before the people by the Rev. Father Ainsworth, interest grew rapidly. It was explained that, of all the chaplains, the Catholic chaplains alone had practically no funds for the field service. The necessity for a great effort was readily seen by the congregation, who seemed ready and willing to co-operate with the priest in bringing aid and comfort to our boys who are nobly fighting our battle. Small packets of tickets were distributed at the church doors three Sundays ago, and a vigorous campaign of ticket-selling commenced. In one day 1300 tickets were in circulation. The Catholics united as perhaps they never united before, and be whole town was quickly canvassed. The daily papers were most liberal in opening their columns to the almost daily notices. The box plan was no sooner opened than it was filled, the stalls having to be drawn upon to provide extra seating for reservation. The management spared no pains to have their bio- expenses covered by supplementary means. Mr. G. P. Donnelly very generously donated £lO towards the expenses, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society gave a euchre party. Rev. Father Ainsworth organised the ladies of the parish into a sweets committee. These, under the presidency of Mrs. Walter McCarthy, with Miss Dorothy Kenny as secretary, took upon themselves the task of providing sweets for sale at the concert. So well did the ladies work, that they netted £2l by the sales. Too much credit cannot be given them for their splendid work. The concert took place last Monday evening. A large crowd was waiting long before the opening, and ten minutes after the doors""were opened every available seat was filled, whilst at the back of the stalls, circle, and family circle, people were standing, two deep. Hundreds kept streaming along to the theatre, only to be told that standing room was not available. They took their disappointments good humoredly, though there were universal expressions of regret at not being able to obtain admission.

The concert opened to an excited and enthusiastic audience precisely at 8 o’clock. It would be quite impossible for me to do justice to each particular item, I would encroach too much on your columns; I can only mention some of the special items. Miss Agnes Segrief and Miss Theresa McEnroe were undoubtedly the stars of the evening.” Miss Segx-ief sang Mercadante’s famous cavatina, * A S’estinto Ancor mi Vuoi,’ a number that suited her to perfection, and received quite an ovation.

On being recalled 'Annie Laurie was given with great expression. Miss Segrief's other contributions were the bracketed numbers, ' Love, I have won you,' ' Down in the forest,' and 'Coming home.' Miss McEnroe's rendering -of the ' Carnival de Venice ' delighted the huge audience. In response to a vociferous recall Miss McEnroe sang Moore's beautiful melody ' Believe me if all those endearing young charms,' and later in the evening sang, Come back to Erin' and Wake up the latter being given as an encore. Miss Madge Higgins, a local favorite, sang 'Softly awakes my heart. '■ Miss Higgins was compelled to reappear. Perhaps the most delightful item on tho programme was the duet, ' Venetian boat song,' by Misses McEnroe and Segrief, their voices blending beautifully, and the singers had to reappear. Amongst other contributors were Misses B. Keenan, Kettle, Messrs. Lanauze, C. Hickmott, A. Newton, Keenan, and Carroll, and Rev. Father Ainsworth. A scene, 'The rag pickers,' by Mr. E. Amner, assisted by a number of young ladies, had a decidedly pleasing effect. A comedietta, ' The Marble Arch,' in which the characters were taken by Mesdames Hartshorn and Caerlyon-Bennett and Messrs. McCorkindale and Wood, sent the audience home in a happy frame of mind. An orchestra, under the baton of Mr. L. Hay, gave preat assistance. The accompanists were Mrs. A. Johnson and Miss Gladys Watkins. Thanks are due to the energetic joint secretaries, Messrs. Treston and Keenan. It is expected that fully £l5O will be the net result. The visiting singers were entertained on Sunday by the local concert committee to a motor trip through the Hastings and Havelock districts, the visitors being delighted with the outing. Afterwards the party journeyed to the Marist Seminary at Greenmeadows, and were entertained by the Rev. Father Tymons.