CONVENT SCHOOL CONCERT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1651, 16 December 1916, Page 3

CONVENT SCHOOL CONCERT.

The pupils of St. Mery’s School gave their annual concert in the Town Hall last night to a. fair but very appreciative audience. The stage was tastefully decorated with (lowers and ■ greenery, which presented a very nice setting for the prettily costumed and happy children who took part. The programme consisted of instrumental items, action songs, choruses, a comic duct and farce, and concluded with a cantata entitled “The Spirit of the Wood.” It is always a big undertaking to train the children, and the Sisters are to be heartily, complimented niton the success of the performance as a whole. A pleasing feature of the performance was the clever enunciation of the little ones, and their graceful movements indicated very enrol ul coaching. .Misses (lonian and Moffat opened the programme with a pianoforte duet, “Merry W ives of Windsor.” The infants then trooped in, and caused much merriment in the action song “Sleepy Head” — oye or two little dots almost carried the action to its natural limit. The senior boys, dressed as Jack Tars, rendered the song “Britannia’s Jack Tars” very well. An action song by six ambulance maids gave a practical demonstration of lirst aid very creditably. The chorus by senior pupils, “When Through Life,” was much appreciated. Miss Walls showed marked proficiency in her pianoforte selections. A number of junior boys, dressed in khaki, and each carrying a drum, sang the action song, “Merry Drummers.” “Boses Red and White,” an action song by the girls, was a very pretty item, the graceful movements of the girls, with their garlands of roses, was most effective. Miss Eileen and Master T. Lenihan resurrected an old favourite in the comic duet, “Polly Hopkins” and (heir make-up ami antics created much amusement. “Ciood Old New Zealand” was sung with gusto by the senior scholars. A farce, “The Train to Mauro,” was well staged. Lizzie Gupwell as “Mrs Brown.” gave promise of histrionic ability above the average, while Joe Lenihan as “Johnny,” and Stan O’Reilley as the railway porter, put plenty of vim into their parts. The pretty cantata, “Spirit of the Wood,” was a titling linale to the entertainment. Miss Madge Desmond as the fairy, and her charmingly costumed little attendants, were very effective. The other characters were sustained by Alary Gupwell (“Bertha”), Aileen Bowe (“Rose”), Ethel Desmond (“Phylis”),Lizzie Gupwell (“Dora”), Vera Hooker (“Mary”), and Cyril Berthold (“Tommy”). The accompaniments were played by Misses Lenihan and Walls.

Mr P. J. Hennessy, on behalf of the Sisters, thanked the audience and the performers, Mr Hennessy said he was sorry that there was not a larger attendance, duo to the fact, no doubt, of (lie many calls made upon the public at the present lime. He hoped before the next annual concert that the war would tie over, and said he would make a bargain with the public. He promised, if spared, by that time to give Foxton its due in -connection with the wharf, for which he had been striving for the past nine years, and he asked on the next occasion of the annual concert that the public would show their appreciation of what he had done by greeting (he performers with a bumper house. (Applause). The little ones were subsequently regaled with refreshments.