ARMS AND MEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 928, 22 September 1910, Page 7

ARMS AND MEN.

: ; '■;.-:■ .';;,_____«_-_.—_'',.-':, \ ! ■;.JULITARIv ENTERTAINMENT. ;. A- capital' entertainment was' that pro.videcl .by, .the, Garrison Rifle. Asspciatipu in /tho.■■•■Concert'Ghambor of -tho Town! ilall last evening, in aid of 'the. prize funds., Appropriately enongh ■ there was a pronounced-flavour of the. "pomp and; .circumstance of glorious war"- about the programme. It was an- "assault-at-arms," to uso the somewhat- awesome , phrase which is the technical description otsuoh functions, varied by some clever tableaux, .by the: College' Rifles, and tho Welling- ; ton' Guards, and •musical, items., v.". The tableaux-were.striking representations of incidents of a soldier's. The "Retreat ..'at .Sunset" rwas, a picture of the camp athight,., the: on guard, and .the inspection of the guard. -The .next was "Guard. Rounds," ,!by Lieutenant' Simeon •and ;,pafty, ishowing the approach .of .the tho challenge, the. sallying forth of the guard .with fixed bayonets, and. then 'tho- inspection' by.;the officer: of the day. "Trouble in ■ the Camp" showed how difference are settled sometimes when' "Tommies" fall out ;.with each, other. There '■ is a lively bout be-., •tween two. men,- and the advent of■ tho : 'officer, who, stops .the brawl and, orders !the men' to!,cool .their' tempers with a' -bout with the foils'. Ah.interesting fenc r ing -display, is' tho result.... The humorous' burlesque "Cave Canem" was tho greatest'hit of tho evening.-. There was first the' drum-head court martial '.of;.the,', regir mental,'cook, for, incautiously.;.absorbing the,: captain's' dog into the sausage ma-, 'ohine, his sentence- to "death, and; then the ridiculous <efforts of- the champion rifle shot to carry out-the sentence, with his huge paraphernalia of "aids'to marksmanship, a black umbrella, -orthoptics, paint, pots (black ; and; -white), and his iplea for a sighting' shot., At last,; after !the-shootist had entered' upoii; the .final st-vge of. his preparations •to kill.-the cook, tne captain'of the firing s ■ party summoned a'recruit, the'cook a quick and happy dispatch. Other tableaux were: "Tho Roll Call," a,pathetic, study of the muster 0f..-.a Company -after the -battle, and. "Allies," showing.. Maori v. Pakeha' standing shoulder to shoulder, under the Union-. Jack.;.- The latter was preceded, :by... a'": display, -illustration'. o.f the storming of a Maori pah. Exhibitions of bayonet fighting (City Rifles), and physical- drill (Zealandia Rifles) ■were notable for the smartness of the drill andthe clean precision of the movements. Excellent character sketches were given by Lien tenant A'. C. C. Stevens, assisted by the College Rifles, in his songs: "Tho Gay Drum-Major," and "A Sergeant of tho Line.". Songs were. also, sung vby .Lieutenant A. Mee (College BiilosV, Lieutenant, : V. E...Meredith, 'and Mr 'DA. Kennv (who also acted as accompanist). Gunner 'W. Day,, of .'-the Wellington Navals, ,danced i. sailors horhpine. Other items included a cornet solo,' "Carnival de "Venice," 'by Bandsman TV. J. Glennie.'and an instrumental quartette, ."A Warrior's Dream," by members' of the , Garrison Band. ■Mr D.A. Kenny was musical-director, Lieutenant ■ Wilkinson stage-manager, while the srocial scenery was by Artificer Sergeant Martin, R.N.Z.A: ■