LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 248, 5 April 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Napier Choral Society.— The members of this society gave a concert on Monday evening, the 3rd inst., in the Council Chamber. The performance, as a whole, was highly creditable, considering the short time tuey have had tor practice together. The excellent performance of Sirs Gully on tiie pianoforte went far to render the entertainment successful. The vocalists were— Mesd.tmes Cooper, Stuart, Begg, Boylau, H. Baiter, Webb, the Slisses Armstrong, Miss Nicholas, and Miss Begg; Messrs. HiTcliings, Han is, Molt, Martin, .Lyndon, Thornton, T.rtvzey, Blake, Wilkinson. The concert was very well attended, the hall being as full as it could conveniently hold. The first in the programme. Dauby's glee, “ Awake cEolian Lyre,” was very well rendered, hut as the concert progressed, the singers gained confidence, fur Bishop's “ Where art thou; beam of light?" Rossini's chorus, the “ Carnivule," and J. Parry's “ Conge, fairies, trip it o’er the grass,” were without fault. Wrighton’s pretty ballad, “ Her bright smile haunts me still,” was omitted, owing to the indisposition of the lady who had to sing it. Dr Hitchiims sang “ The Knight Troubador” in place of it. Mr Robottura, his son, and daughter, played Coote’s “ Fairy Visions ” on violin, violiucello, and harmonium, very nicely, and' were encored, when they gave “II Balen,” from Verdi’s “ Trovatore.” Mr Wilkiuso'n seemed to be rather nervous in Donizetti's “ 0, Summer Night.” The trio for violin, violincello, and pianoforte—Mr Wilkinson' Captain Lucas, and Mrs Gully—was excellently played, Miss M. Armstrong’s singing of the two songs allotted to her, “ Geraldine” and “ Tin- Forsaken,” was excellent, and gained an unanimous and and well-deserved encore in both instances. The trio by Hummel, net named in the programme, was well played by Mr Wilkinson, Captain Lucas, and Sirs Gully.,, and gained an encore. “ Blow, Gentle Gales,” glee, by Bisbop, was also deservedly encored. Mr Robottom, his son, and daughter next played “ Autumn Flowers,” by D’Albert. Mr Lyndon and Miss Nicholas rendered' Mendelssohn’s beautiful duet, “ Oh, wert thou in the cauld blast,” very effectively. We may remark, en passant , that Miss Nicholas possesses a very pure and rich contralto voice, and is a very valuable mera•ber of the Society. There are a few more tenors wanted in the chorus to make it thoroughly effective. This, it is to be hoped, will be remedied by the time the next concert is given. Each individual member seemed determined that it should be no fault of theirs if'the concert did not go off satisfactorily, and we are happy to record it as a decided success. Mr Wilkinson was a very able conductor. We must compliment the Society on the progress it has made in the short time that it has been re-organised, and trust that no efforts may be wanting to maintain it. The province has long felt the want of a Society of this kind, and we hope that it will not again be disbanded. Earthquake. —Yesterday morning, about five o’clock, we experienced a rather lon<* continued shaking of the earth. The vibration was sufficiently violent to awaken most of the the towns people from their sleep and lasted we should say, for about two minutes.

Asexval of the St. Kilda.—Tlus' vessel returned from the Coast yesterday morn-" ing bringing with her the Bishop and’the Poverty Bay settlers it is said that, the natives had embraced the Pai Marirefanatieisfn and threatened to kill every missionary and soldier that may appear iu their neighbor-1 hood. We were promised an article on the state of matters at Poverty Bay, but it has not come to hand up to the time of out - going to press. ' ■ The Health of the Town—A correspondent informs us that the insidious diptheria has planted its foot at length in our town, and has carried off a hue healthy little girl aftef a few hours’ illness. We have to note an error in our last, in which it v> vs re-. ported that a child had died from influenza ; we are credibly informed that the cause of death was bronchitis, and that influenza is not so prevalent as we were led to believe. There is no question that much sickness has been occasioned during the, late hot weather by the poisonous exhalations 'from the swamps which alone prevents our town from being one of the most healthy iu flie Colony,