A MANX EVENING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4862, 7 August 1925, Page 2

A MANX EVENING.

UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT. ABOUT THE ISLE OF MAN. Last evening the Centenary Hall, Paeroa, was well filled, the audience attending to hear an entertainment of Manx song anti story by the Rev. A. M. Costain, assisted by Messi’s T., M. and C. Qualtrough and W. Oates, all of whom are Manxmen,

The programme commenced with the Manx National Anthem, which was sung as a male quartette. The Rev. Costain then contributed some interesting information concerning his native isle, which, he explained, was about half the area of the Ohinemuri County and had a population of 50,000, which, , during the summer, increased to 1,250,000. He said that the majority of Manx people were still firm believers in fairies. The songs contributed were of several kinds, and were very interesting. They commenced with a series of historical selections, followed’ by fairy songs, and then a series of love-mak-ing and wedding items which included some delightful old ballads said tobe over 150 years old. The musical items were interspersed with a number of humorous stories of Manx origin. In a talk on the origin of Manx names the Rev. Costain caused much amusement when he said that persons, were sometimes named Nicky, Nick-Nick, which, interpreted, means Nicholas, son of Nicholas, son of Nicholas. A Sunday School teacher on the isle once asked the scholars if they knew what an' unclean spirit was, and the smart boy of the class answered, “The dirty devil.”

The music throughout the programme was typically Manx, and bf a charming variety, and gave the audience an insight into something new. in the form of an entertainment in Paeroa. The singers were accorded an enthusiastic reception, and a special word of praise was bestowed upon Miss Henderson, Te Aroha, who ably accompanied the various items on the piano.