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Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2907, 24 February 1893, Page 2

The concert in the Arcade last nijjht in aid of the Queensland relief fund was one of the " biggest things " Ashburton has done for some time, and drew an audience of no less than 732 people. The iJea of giving a concert in the Arcade originated, we believe, with Mr Hichard Lechner, Sejretary of the Horticultural Society, who. remarking the suitableness of the Arcade as a place for a large gathering, as proved by the success of the flower show in that connection, thought it would be a pity to dismantle the fittings of the show before something was done for the relief fund. The tremendous size of th=» building raised seme doubts as lo its acoustic success, but when Mr )-echner mentioned his idea to several of Ihe musical people it was, so to speak, " jumped at," as an excellent opportunity for fettling what had long been moot questions among them —thepracticability of using the Arcade atallasapromenade concert room, and its fitness as regards sound. In eveiy way the Arcade proved a brilliant success. The soft floor deadened all distracting sounds from the audience, and the voices of the soloistb penetrated with clearness and in full tone to every corner of the building, not a note being missed by people the very farthest away from the stage. Even light, thin voices like those of Mr L. Bnud and Mr J. B. Kirk were clearly heard. Mr Brooking, a very solid bass, sang first, and under the disadvantage of the untried building. Fancying, from tha size of the hall, that a . strong effort would have to be made to be heard at all, he made that effort, in his first song, and his number suffered in consequence, but the strain was not required, and in his encore song, he relaxed a good deal and was more successful. The soloists had found out, the splendid acoustic proporties by the time their turn to sing came, and knew exactly what to do, so that the result was perfectly satisfactory. The tickets were issued to. a large staff of sellers, who found many ready buyers, and £12 12s 6d was taken at the doors, so that the treasurer hopes to be able to hand over ' between £40 and £45 to the fund. The Arcade was well decorated with flags, | thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of Mr Thomas WhiHington who hung them, ! and the kindness of Mr William Patching who lent them at the first time of asking. The centre of the building was seated with short benches from St Stephen's school, and a few from the Ash burton Club, but these were not all used as most of the male portion of Ihe audience preferred to move about the tan and under the bays enjoying a pipe. Thanks are due tq che carriers who carted the seats free ; to Messrs Elston and Cawsey for their labor with the lighting and the former specially for his work in preparing the stage; to Messrs Truckle, Rale, Tasker, Lechner, Elston, and Whittingtori for the great amount of work they did in general preparation, and specially to the last mentioned gentleman whose task in glirnbing the beams to haps flags was neither easy nor safe j to Mr Thomas for the use of the Arcade, the greatest cift of all; to Mess s Williams and Gates for arranging the programme and bringing the whole thing so successfully through and without the slightest hitch. Of the concert itstlf, 1 considering the short notice given to the performers, its success was wonderful, every one doing his of her best, and pleasing the audience to the full. The singers were —Mesdames Brooke and Williams and Miss Hardy ; Messrs Brooking, Williams, aud Kersal; and, for comic element, Messrs J. Kirk, broadandD. Millar. Glees were sung by a strong choir under Mr Gates ; the Orchestral Society, under Mr K. Wood, contribmed several pieces ; and the Brass Band, under Mr G. Hoskin, was not by any means the least acceptable feature, Mrs CJaridge played the accompaniments throughout, and wify Mis* 1 Ada Qates contributed a piano duet. That the programme was yery iccQßtablp tq the audience wan proved h,y. the fapt that every item was encored. The Mayoj- was Chairman and at the close made the pleasing announcement as re^ cards the numbers present and the pro. bable financial result above n,ot«d, also tendering fch»nks to the performers and all who had lent assistance in making a success of what was quite an extemporised concert, but a substantial contribution to IJie ifußdg.