HARMONIC SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1999, 21 July 1880, Page 3

HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Christchurch Harmonic Society was hold yesterday evening in St. John's Schoolroom, the Eov. H. O. M. Watson, president, in the chair. The Chairman having made a few introductory remarks, the following report was submitted : The committee of the society have much pleasure in congratulating the members on the present position of the Society. Commencing the season considerably in debt, with a very small number of honorary and performing members, and having for some time almost ceased to exist as a society, it has nevertheless concluded the season of 1879-80 in a satisfactory manner. The number of members, both honorary and active, has been largely increased. The programme for the season has been carried ont, and the debt carried forward from the previous season has been nearly all paid off, leaving but a small debtor balance to be carried forward to next season’s account. The society has now upon its hooks a list of eighty five honorary members, tbe performing members, without the band, numbering sixty. The works selected for the four concerts have been Haydn’s “First Maas,” “The lay of the Bell,” “The Messiah,” and the “Bride of I)unkerron.” The society’s library contains only a very small quantity of music, and owing to the scarcity of music in Christchurch from which to select, the greatest difficulty has been experienced in the choice of works for performance at the Society’s concerts. The committee have sometimes been compelled to choose between repeating works which had been recently performed and borrowing from other kindred societies copies of works, the suitableness of which the committee had had no means of ascertaining. With a view to supplying the want of suitable mnsio, the committee soma time ago resolved to establish a library fund, and with this object to issue a limited number of tickets of life membership at 5s each. They recommend this matter, therefore, to the attention of all the members, and trust, moreover, that in future years the increasing numbers of the society will place Btm larger sums at the disposal of the committee for the same purpose. The thanks of the society are due to Mr Landergan for the zeal and ability with which he has discharged the onerous duties of honorary conductor. A draft of a new set of rules will be submitted to yon for your approval. A resolution was passed to the following effect —“ That the soloists should, so far as possible, be selected from the working members of the society, and as soon as convenient after putting any piece in rehearsal; and that under any circumstances the soloists should attend the practices and go through their parts with the orchestra and chorus.” The report was adopted. The election of officers was then proceeded with, resulting as follows President, Mr E. 0. J. Stevens ; vice-presidents, Mr O. H. H. Cook and Dr. Prins ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr. H. H. Loughnan ; committee, Messrs T. Acland, J, Eowley, W. H. Whyte, O. Ooombs, Q-raham, E. W. Bose, and Eev. ET. O. M. Watson.

Mr A. Landergan was re-elected hon. conductor.

The treasurer’s statement gave the following totals : —Keceipts, £lO7 12s 6d ; expenditure, £ll3 2s lid, including £32 12s of liabilities brought forward from last year. A revised edition of the rules was then considered and nasaed. This was all the business, and the meeting terminated with the usual votej of thanks to the chair.