WELLINGTON MUSICAL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 783, 5 April 1910, Page 2

WELLINGTON MUSICAL UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Wellingtoa Musical. Union was held last evening, Mr. J. W. Joynt (president) in the chair; The meeting was preceded by a, practice for the chorus of Coleridge Taylor's characterj-»tic works, "Hiawatha's We'd" ding Feast" and "The Death of Miniehaha."

In a -review of the' year's work, the committee reported that Cowen's graceful work, "The Bleeping Beauty," which- had not been heard in Wellington fprrmany years, "was given, as the, first concert of the season. The rest.of the year vsas devoted to centenary commemorations 'of. the birth of Mendelssohn, and the death of Haydn, both' of which events occurred in 1809. .Mendelssohn was.commemorated by what was generally admitted to. have been an exceptionally good .-performance T>f • his oratorio, "Elijah,"-in which Mr. , John Prousc once more successfully represented the Prophet; and by a miscellaneous programme which included the "Midsummer' Night's Dream" overture, a portion of the Scotch symphony, : several unaccompanied part-songs, and , the Pianoforte Concerto in. .G-minor, with Mrs. E. D. Cachemaille at the solo .instrument. Haydn's representative oratorio, "The Creation," was given as the fourth subscription concert. An additional ooncert, at which Miss Phoebe Parsons and Mr. John Prouee had generously promised their help, was to have been given in aid of the funds of the union, but this had to be abandoned owing to the temporary indisposition of the musical" director. ' ■' ■ ,■.■'.'•'

'. In the balance-sheet' for 1909 the! most satisfactory feature wae the large amount received in honorary members' subscriptions. There was a small profit on the actual year's operations, but'still a considerable.' outstanding liabiljty.'.against which was a.number~of oufjf&siing eub-' scriptions." ' ' ':'■' ' "'■■;■'•*"- , ' .'"■' In moving th'e : adoption of. the'report, and balajioo-sheet, the president eaid that; the condition of the honorary;members' subscription-list was a most 6atisfaotory feature of their position. It waa encouraging to find. that there was, a large block of people—intelligent people— which considered that the union w.ae worthy of support, that it was doing good work, and it was for, the union to contanie to merit that support. ; It had been, said that there was not room in Wellington for two societies. He; thought the contrary. There was plenty of room, and that without calling in a spirit of competition. He urged performing members to take a keen interest in'the work of the society, and severely condemned the attitude of a certain section which'was apparently, willing to take but a casual share of the work, leaving the ,6thers to shoulder the burden of the serious work of preparation •' for public performances.' It was a question, he said, whether some stricter differentiation as ; between those who attended the practices regularly and those who did not would not be of"ad.vantage to the condition of the union.' The motion was seconded by, Mr. F. V. Waters, and carried unanimously. -

Officers for tho ensuing' year were elected as; follow:—Patrons, His Excellency the Governor, and the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward); president, Mr. J. W.. Joynt; vice-presidents,: Archbishop Redwood, Bishop Wallis and the Chief Justice (Sir, Robert ■ Stout, K.C.M.G.), Mr* Jusiye Cooper, the . Hon. G. Fowlds, the Mayor of Wellington (Dr. Newman), the Hon. IV W. Hislop, and Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken, E. H. Dean, E. C. Hamertbn,, P. Heyes, H. Beauchamp, William Gill, W. M. Hannay, W. Houghton, J. Plimmer, J. H. Otto Schwartz, W.'Shirtcliffe, v.W. G. Kiddell, F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., J. P.-Luko, M.P., R. A. Wright, •JI.P., and A. L. Herdman, M.P.; Executive Committee, Mesdames E. D. Caclemaille and C. : D'.'. Mackintosh, Miss Archer, and Messrs. W. E. Bock, C. I. Dasent, T. K. Thomson, T.Forsyth, P. V. Waters; musical director, Mr. Eobert Parker; hon, pianists, Mesdames E. C. and E; D. Cachemaille; lion, treasarer, Mr. W. E. Bock; hon. librarian,' Mr. J. Mill; hon. orchestral librarian, Mr. K. S.' Farmer;.hon. assistant librarian, Mr.-E. M. Cameron; hon. 'auditor, Mr. J. W. Jack; hon. secretary, Mr. A. M. Lewie.