PATRIOTIC CONCERT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2416, 23 March 1915, Page 6

PATRIOTIC CONCERT

THE SOLDIERS' EFFORT IN AID OF THE BELGIANS The soldiers of the Fourth and Fifth Reinforcements now in their training .camp at Trentham gavo to the public of Wellington last night some proof of the fact that not a few of them are skilled in the arts of peace as well as the arts of war. Tho concert which they gave in the Town Hall, under the auspices of tho Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Patriotic Society, was a noteworthy success. There was no single item on the programme, except a speech or two, and a gift auction which shall be mentioned later, that was not given by a non-commissioned i officer or private of the force;, and there was not a single item that was not good. Nor was the programme made up of music of the boisterous camp-fire variety. The young men were for the most part musicians of training and experience, aud also of some promise, i'irst of all there was the band. This is a permanent institution at the camp, but the bandsmen are not permanent, for with every succeeding draft of men that leave, go about half of the bandsmen. • This present band has therefore been together only a few months, but yet they play very well indeed, much better than many bands who have played together for years. Conductor-Sergeant Fox, playing a cornet with his right hand, and wielding the baton with his left, had his men under very fair control, and his interpretation of the music was in good taste. The programme was so long that a review of the items is impossible. They comprised songs, duets, recitations, iiibtrumental items, and a Highland dance. Following were the performers:—Sergeants Walpole, iicid, and Newberry, Pay-Sergeant Prentice, Corporals J. Thomson, H. Hutchinsoiij and Bums, Gunner E. A. Jiinnie, Driver Maloney, Privates F. Jones, Owen, E. Parker, Orchard, and Galloway.

During the interval very short patriotic addresses were delivered by the Mayor (Mr. J. , I'. Luke), wlio presided, and Sir Joseph Ward. Both congratulated the soldiers very heartily on their performance, and the audience endorsed the compliment with loud applause. At the invitation of the Mayor also they showed their gladness to welcome the troops back from Samoa with a specially Jiearty round of applause. Mr. A. G. Wallace also sold by auction a portrait of His Majesty the King, and a very fine doll. The picture was "knocked down" first to the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken for 305., next to Sir Joseph Ward for £2, and then in turn to the Mayor for 305., to Mr. H. Juriss for £1, to Mr. C. M. Luke for £1, to Mr. H. D. Atkinson for £1, and to Mrs. J. P. Luke for 15s, All these buyers ordered the picture to be put up for sale again, but in the end the auctioneer said that the next buyer might take it home. Then it was bought for £1 by Private Jones and Private Fitzgerald. The doll was sold for os. to Mrs. Carrick. The proceeds of the sale were thus £10, which with the other profits of the concert, will go to tho Belgian Fund