THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1144, 3 June 1911, Page 10

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

♦ , WHERE MUSICAL RECIPROCITY COMES IN. A graphic idea of the real significance of the Musical Festival of the Empire, organised by Dr. Charles Harriss, is shown by the interest and enthusiasm that are being displayed everywhere in the forthcoming visits of the Sheffield Choir, which Or. Harriss is taking round the world. In an interview, Dr. Harriss says:— "Throughout tho British Empire and throughout the United States aUo, my efforts towards the development of musical reciprocity are meeting with the utmost encouragement from the most influential quarters. At Wellington, in New Zealand, the Sheffield Choir will be tlie guests of tho Victoria League during their three davs' s.tav in tlie capital city. Lord Islington," the new Governor-General of New Zealand, is taking a very vivid interest in the movement throughout the Dominion, according to advices received from that country. At Christchurch and Duncdin housing committees have been formed, representing the leading citizens, for the purpose of homing the visitors. At Johannes-burg, in' South Africa, says a letter received by me, the Choir are to bo the guests of" private citizens for the whole five days of their stay in that city. Mayor Orr, of Kimberlcy. has advised me" that tho city council have passed a resolution extending to the Choir the. Nllll6 honours as wore shown to the members of the British. Association during '■their r great annual, gathering.held there: The :steamships.that will pass in. the nHit, "carrying the Choir and the.other members of this great organisation, are; the s.s. Virginian, Zealandi.T, Moravian, and Marathon. The Moravian, of the White Star Line, has been.chartered omrMit'bv me to take- my party from Melbourne'to South Australia, and.from South Australia to West Australia—four thousand miles—and thenco to..Durban, Ma South .-Africa. ..This was made '.imperative T'becaus'e L'.found that I- .could pot; make"'liiv Australian arrangements fit- in with, tho" schedules of steamship sailings. When if comes to chartering a steamer outright, it mean's a very serious thing for one's purse-strings, biit there was no alternative, so I did it. There are over twelve thousand members of overseas choral societies singing with this British Choir in massed performances of the Elijah, and in the music of the Empire concerts, inaugurated all over the world now. and which were started by 1110 in London onlv four years ago. You ran form some idea, from this brief summary of facts and figures where musical reciprocity comes in on this Musical Festival of the British Empire."