ROYAL CHORAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 10

ROYAL CHORAL SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. Mr. J. G. W. Aitken (president) occupied tli? chair at, the eighth annual meeting of tho Koyal Wellington Choral Society, held in St. John's Schoolroom Inst evening. Mr. Aitken, in moving tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet (already published), congratulated the conductor (Mr. J. Maughan Barnett) and every member of the Royal Choral Society on the very successful year's work that had been performed.' Tho outstanding thing in the report was tho reference to the loss they wero about to sustain of the man who had started the society, who was largely responsible for its success, and ithe man who had put tho heart, and couTage into every member of. the chorus which enabled them to do his-or her best—their worthy conductor, Mr. Maughan. Barnett, (Loud upplausei) Ho was about to leave them, having, .found pastures new,'-a pine® moro like the Garden of Eden than Wellington is—a moro dcsirablo Arcadia. (Laughter.) Therefore all ho, had to say to him was that he hoped ho would find as much pleasure, if not more, in his work in Auckland as ho had. found in Wellington. He, was satisfied'that in his new field of activity Mr. Barnett could not be moro diligent in his work than he had been in: Wellington. Ho congratulated tho society on having n cuiisidcrablc sum to crcdit. It.was. not every society which could boast a credit of J2107. The balance-sheet was oven better than was shown, as there were certain sums to.be refunded later that wero now lying in London.' (Applause.) _ ■; Mr. J. R. Burley seconded the ]3efore tho report was adopted, Mr. J. Wilson wished to know if the committee of thi-general meeting of tho socicty voted tho iCSO to the secretary. His impression was' that such bonuses had to be recommended by the committee to a general meeting. Tho chairman said .that the bonus was voted by the committee as those test qualified to know what, work tho secretary did arid how it wai done. The rule governing ths committers freedom of, action in such" matters was also read. . . ; Mr. E. 1). Alexander -aslced for an explanation as to wliy the amounts under "general 'expenses" (JSSO Bs. 10d.), and "telegrams,' postage, etc." (.£2O 9s. lid.) wero so much heavier than last year. The secretary/ Mr. W. E-. Caldow) sa:d that general expeoses covered a vote of ,£lO 10s. to Mr. Horace Hunt (accoriinanist), and there had been a good deal of cabling in- connection with music and artists for some of the concerts. . ■ : - Mr. Alexander thought that the vote to Mr.'. Hunt should have Appeared as a separate item. .. Mr. li. T. Caldrow (chairman of committee) referred to the sum of .£7O 10s., which was lying in London.. Of that amount' tho'suin of -ClO 10s. was a deposit on. account of the orchestral parts of"Cavalleria Rustica.iia," and the XOO was a deposit on account of the orchestralnart3 of "Carmen," which had to'bo forwarded before the publishers would allow them to leave London, and those amounts would ljo held so long as tho scores were retained.' That £70 10s. made tlip balanco better than it appeared, and placed tho control-of tho two works mentioned with tho society for the Dominion. No other society, could sing them unless they got them from the Wellington Choral Society. Auckland had hired tho parts of "Cavallcria," and Christchurch wanted them this year, so that they would prove a source of revenue. Tlie.v could not buy the rights of these .works outright; otherwise they would have done so. (Applause.) Tho motion to adopt the report and balance-sheet was carried unanimously. ! Tho following officers wero elected:— Patrons, His Excellency the Governor, tho Hon. W. F. Massey, and-Sir Robert Stout; president, Mr. J. G. W. 1 Aitken; vice-presidents, his Grace Archbishop Redwood, the J?ev. Dr. Gibb, the Hon. W. : Eraser. M.P., the Hon. A. L. Herdman, M.P., Messrs. W. E. Bethune, A. S. Biss, : A: H. Miles, and D. J. Nathan; conductor, Mr,' Christian Hellemann; hon. accompanist, Mr. Horace Hunt; hon. solicitor. Mr. ITorbcrt Webb; hon. auditor, Mr. C. D. Morpeth; hon. secretary, Mr. W. E. Caldow; hon. assistant-secretary, Mr. N. D. M'Leod; hon. librarian, Mr. J. E.. Perry; hon. treasurer, Mr. W. H. Chitty: committee, Messrs. R. T. Caldow.. 1\ B. Young. AV., J. Hueston, F. S. Pops, ond S. G. Hamerton.