ANNUAL CONCERT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 10 December 1930, Page 2

ANNUAL CONCERT.

<+ BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL. One of the West school concerts thai, has been given in Christchurch for a long period, that ot tho Christchurch Boys' 2!igli School held in tho Radiant Hall last night, will not be coon forgotten by tho packed audience that, heard and saw it. Tho mention of a school concert usually suggests a performance of 8om« interest, with talent varied and of a certain good but unfinished quality, but la«t evening's concert., thy first of a two-night season, was more than that. It was a fine entertainment from cud to end, excellently staged, containing one-act plays of a high standard in which tho actors played their roles in a manner which would have done credit to far more experienced performer#. No doubt its being held in a hall which provided ampin pcope for tirst-class staging effects was a certain factor which contributed towards the success of the *how, but it must be added that the management had been so admirably arranged that the programme was conducted without a hitch throughout. Tho concert will be presented again to-night. Tho first part of the programme was opened with a selection by the band, "Jlappy-Go-Ducky" (Seddon), Mr C. 11. lloskin ronducting. This was followed by a pianoforte solo, Valse (Chopin), played bv W. 1"). Thomas. P. B. Wvndham Lewis's parody, "A Littio Trouble in Venice," came next, one net of tho play being staged. It was splendidly staged, and the characters each played their parts well. The cast was W. R. Frnnci*. M. IJ. Smythe. 1.. V. Mahalm, C. S. Mountfort. N. McLelland, N. W. House, R. Uaudin. G. E. Dalian!, T. M. C. Hay. J. G. Perry. J. Pag<\ R. S. Hutchinson, G. S. Inwood, and E. M. Hay. This was followed by nn entertaining one a<-t play staged by the pupils. Itwas called "Shivering Shocks," and the performance of the boys was outstanding in this act. The characters were taken by .1. M. Oaffin, 11. R. Hooker, A. J. Thomson. N. McClelland, 11. W. McElory, and W. J. A. Brittenden. In tho second part of thn programme tho shorter items wero Bupplied by the band, who played tho tefit march 4 *Jnvercargill'' (Lithgow), the school choir, who sang tvro Bongs, a gymnastic squad who garc n splendid exhibition of wand drill, and by Dawson Douglas (recitations). Tho concluding- section of tho programme was devoted to the one-act play, 4 'The Autocrat of the Coffeo Stall.** by Harold Cbapin. The characters were taken by the masters, and tho rounds of applause wero well merited. It was a high-class performance. The players wore Messrs J. F. Moffat, J. T. Burrows, 11. W. Gourlay, \V. W. Brassington, W. M. ♦Stewart, and F. J. li. Murray. A large amount of the credit for the excellence of tho performance must go to the producer, Mr S. R. Cuming. The accompanist throughout the evening was G. M. Martin.