NAVAL AND MILITARY TOURNAMENT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1926, Page 12

NAVAL AND MILITARY TOURNAMENT

-4 AND SEARCHLIGHT TATTOO.

Definite arrangements have now been completed for the holding of naval and military tournament and seatchlight tattoo at Newtown Park 111 Maich the actual dates fixed for the big event being March 3 to March. 8 thereby coinciding with the Royal visit. A perfoim ance will be staged on.-he evening of each of the dates mentioned, and it is probable also that there will be an additional production on the afternoon of M The tattoo will comprise the star feature of the celebrated W embley and Aidershot tattoos, which created such a marked impression in England last year. The whole of the costumes, uniforms, banners, and special lighting effects, which have been hired from London at a cost of £3OOO, will arrive in New Zealand by the Mahana at the end of- the present month, and the exact operation orders also having been obtained, it is claimed that the people of Wellington are assured of a spectacle winch will far excel the “Citizens-Soldiers Pageant held at Newtown Park in March, 1924, both in brilliance and stirring ceremonial effects. To stage the tattoo will require 1700 performers, whose services are being given gratuitously,.and already many of them are getting into training. Next week the Ist Battalion Wellington Regiment will commence training at Trentham camp for the modern battle scene, and the Royal New Zealand Artillery also will commence practising with the spectacular artillery drive, which is always a star feature of military tournaments and tattoos at Home. Great interest is being attached to the presentation of the grand finale. ‘Soldiers of the King,” which stirred London to the depths. In this, the most celebrated feature of the exhibition, appeared soldiers in uniforms throughout the ages, paving homage to the central figure of St. George, and during the staging of it, a special choir sang the hymns "Onward Christian Soldiers” and "Abide With Me.” While this latter hymn'was being sung, aud in which the whole concourse at Wembley invariably joined, a pale blue light lit up groups of crosses standing amid the poppies cf Flanders fields, w'hich appeared in the distance. This famous scene is to be reproduced at Newtown Park, the combined musical societies of Wellington, under the conductorship of Mr. H. Temple White, having undertaken to supply the necessary choir of between 200 and 300 voices. Other star items will Le plaiting an illuminated maypole by forty Hussars, special displays by the Y.M.0.A., under Captain Duffy, marching, counter-march-ing and figure-maroliing with hundreds of coloured torch lights, elaborate firework displays, fanfare of searchlights, etc. Preceding the holding of the tattoo, a grand queen carnival will be held, commencing almost immediately. The organisations which have undertaken to run candidates in this competition are: (li The Navy League: (2) the Community Club; (3) the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association; (4) the artillery units; and (5) the Red Cross Society. Another organisation has now offered to run a sixth candidate, and this will be considered bv the executive at its next meeting Mie value of a vote has been fixed at Id. The oueen candidates will assume the roles of historic queens of England, the correct costumes for same and of their maids having been obtained from London. Additional costumes have been secured of fashions in the respective periods in which these queens reigned. Half the proceeds of the tournament and tattoo will go to the Community Club established for the 1 enefit of Territorinls nnd Senior nnd hnlf to the local regimental funds. The organisations running queen candidates will receive half the net profits they'-make. the balance going to the joint undertaking. , , . . Mr. R. W. Shallcrass has been appointed lion, secretary.