OPERATIC SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 9

OPERATIC SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. . Tho first annual meeting of the Christ - church Airfateur Operatic .Society was lveM In the Chamber of Commerce Ha.ll' last evening.'. 3itr F. C. Raphael presided over a largo attendance. . Tho annual report stated: —Your committee has much pleasure iu preseuting its- first annual report and balance-sheet, and in doing bo, wishes to congratulate tho Society on the success of its first year's efforts. During tho ye<ar two operas were produced, "viz., "Tho Geisha" «.nd "Paul Jones," and tho inipport received from tho public shows that the formation of the Society was fuHv warranted, and that the efforts of tho performer# were •very highly appreciated. Your committee confidently foTecaets a bright future tor the Society, uad tho number of applications received for hon. membership bears this out, there being 200 more applicants than your committeo thought it advisable to admit. The Society is to bo congratulated on tho ■ fact that it was able to fill the oast in each opera from its own active -members. -It will be of interest, ivrnl ho doubt a. surprise to most of the members, to find that the cost of producing an opera i 8 60 high. Tho'bal-ance-sheet will show that it cost £lOl4 lis 9d to produce "The Goiaha," and i 992 18a lOti to produce "Paul Jones.' The receipt* from "The Geisha" v.crc, £1047 18s Od, and "Paul Jones" £827 10s lOd. Tho receipts from membership fee® amounted to ■ 16s, and'enabled tlie Socktv -to curry forward & credit balance of iIOG 18s Bd. The balanco-sheet showed receipts to have been £2315 is vCd, and expenditure £2IOB 6s Mr Raphael, iu moving tho adoption of the Te'port and balance-sheet, said that nobody expected the Society could have met with so great a success during its first year. Tho support <*f the public had" been widely eecuxed, and that was an undoubted proof of the success the Society haa made. Another . matter for congratulation wafl tho amoiint of undoubted talent among the members of the Scciety, in fact, the coating committee had great difficulty in deciding who should be selected for the principal parte. Hs .would lilte to eee some form of rocipror.it)' between tho operatic Societies in the Dominion. When in Dunudin, lie liad attended a rehewFal of "The CingoJeo" by the Dunodin Socioty. and he had extended to them nn invitation to coin-0 to Ohristchuich and give a parformanoo of "The Cingalee" here. thanks of IKS Society were especially duo to Jlr_iom Pollard and others, including the Preea, for the valuable help ffi"'®*}; . . During the subsequent discuswon, it vras agreed that tlis bahinbe-sheflt should bo published fairly extensively, to imprc» ttTO the public the cost of pi-oducing operas. Una lady raid that it should bo made clear the members were not pßid for their services. A pwt-est at the chargo of 2a adnr.usiou'to the gallery was generally endorsed, and the incoming committee was recommenced to H 3 the gallery admission charge at Is Od. The motion waa agread to.; Mi 11. Dane moved that it be a recommendfation to the incoming committee tlftit tho selection of thft pnnpple3 in future omroa should be left to the producer. Mr G-.-L. Donaldson euid that he had been toll by Mr Pollard' that he would not accept the responsibility of being the casting committee. ,✓ lt . The motion was defeated ou the voict^. The election bf officers reeultcd as follows.: -President, Mr Justice Herdriinn; yice-pre-gidcnU, Mewrs O. T._ J. Alpers and.K. A. Home; committee, Madame Q«wi Burns, Mi?a Bicliard«on, Meeaisi t. M. Hall, J. J. Ha-li E. Branscombe, Y. McDonsld, A. Lucas, Sid'F. C. Raphael; Mr Grav hon. auditor, Mr G. Llackwell. Oh'Mr Raphael's motaon, it was agreed to hold a dance on a date to be fixed,_ for active members of the Society and ono friend €l lir Luca« moved that .it be a recommendation to the committeo to endeavour to obtain an amateur orchestra, to become memthe Society. He advocated that this was advisable, owing to the eipciire m enrapiuir professional orchestraE. , , " The motion was agreed to unanimously. it was n-;r«d that the committee be ro-commendea"to-aelcct "The Country Girl for the Society's next production.