CHURCH OF ENGLAND SOIREE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2979, 20 May 1886, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SOIREE.

The tea meeting and conceit as a reception to the Rev. Thos. Hodgson, which was held in the Theatre Royal on Tuesday evening, drew together very large assemblages. For some time before the hour appointed for tea the seats at the six tables were all taken up, and about thirty ladies, m'arried and single, who had set themselves to the task of supplying and waiting upon the guests, were kept busily employed for nearly two hours in dispensing excellent tea and eatables to the visitors at their respective tables. After about three hundred people had partaken of the hospitality of the kind ladies, the tea-things and tables were removed from the theatre, forms were arranged parallel to the stage, and the throng of visitors were soon all seated for the concert which followed. At the concert there must have been about four hundred persons present. It was presided over by Mr T. Burns, head teacher of Stafford State School. The Rev. Jas. Hosking opened the concert with a short .prayer. Beaides the guest, the Rev. T. Hodgson, the Rev. P. Ramsay was called to take a seat on the stage. The principal feature of the conceit was the singing of the united choirs, with organ accompaniment by Miss Ingall. They commenced with the hymn " Welcome to all." This was followed by a solo by MrWilby—"Bow down Thine ear!" for which his voice is admirably adapted. The choir then gave "Wake the Son»." Mis* Duff, a young lady from Stafford, was cheered as she came on to the stage. She has a flue voice, which proved very effective in the singing of the words "Far Away." recalled, she gave "In the gloaming," with equal satisfaction to the audience as in her fiW offort. Mr Egdeu, followed, with an amusing recitation " My wife is a woman of mind." It was well deliv-r.-d, -..nd called forth an encore, for which he substituted the song of "Widow Dunn." Mrs- Burns,! of Stafford, who played'most of the accompaniments on the pianoforte for

tbe soloists, sang that fine production "Tho Pilgrim Fathers," and was well applauded. Two of the choristers favoured the company with a duett, to which the choir supplied the chorus. A solo by Dr. Divy, "My Qaeeu" (Blumentlml's), was fairly rendered, Miss Ingall playing the accompaniment. An anthem by the choir conc'uded the first part of the entertainment.

Here the guest of the evening, the Rev. Mr Hodgson, stepped forward on the stage, and briefly thankod the audience, for the reception given him ; and particularly he offered his acknowledgments of thanks to the ladies and gentlemen who had exerted themselves so much to make the tea meeting and coucei t, the success it was.

The concert was resumed by the choir singing "Strike the Cymbal." And then followed what may be regarded as the gem of the evening the song "Tired," rendered by Mrs Bums, who has a most pleasing and melodious voice. It was rapturously applauded by the audience. Miss Duff favoured the company with another solo, "Children's Voices;" and two more hymns and the National Anthem by the choir concluded a pleasant evening's entertainment.