VOLUNTEER CONCERTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 203, 3 August 1883, Page 2

VOLUNTEER CONCERTS.

(to the editoe op the standard.) Sir,— Tn looking over the "Peor>l>''Magazine," I saw an article on Volun. teer Concerts, which seems so excellent m itself, and so W:l: suited to this pine that lam m uced to transcribe p .rt : o »* of it for jour journal, and if approved ot bj you for general information m tii Standard. Writing of these concert*. i' «jayß :— "In all instances the object of the promoters of such experiments has been itieutic-il — namely, the supply of amusement to the p ople — the furnishing th -m With a reasonable au:l innocent cxciccment in|.liß place of tho miscliievou* ani of en r.iiuous attractnn of t ! .o aY houso or the bs* r-hop. They accrue i the fact, so often affirmsd by wrin-v-i on social subjects, that tho people must h and will be amused ; and have an 1 ar. doing their best to aliuro the ialoir m,; man from amusements which are d basing and demoralising to others which are at least harmless, while they anhumanising m their tendency. Our first attempts to wean th« labourer from the public house, and to amusthim ia the long winter evenings, were made about four years ago. Like most iirat attempts, they came short of any decided succiss ; the chief reason being, that thoie *ho could have given ua the most valuable aid were slow to recoguize the importance of oui 1 aim, and were consequently ia no hurry to forward. And another reason was th»: difficulty, not to be summarily dea t with, of making a selection a^noug volunteer performers, whose readiness to exhibit was apt to be m the inverse ratio of their ability. At th&present time wo may hi said to have a volunteer staff nearly always, ava.ilable r m ide np ot the most incongruous mat rials, socially considered, -ut happihy congrnous considered harmonically. It our instrumentalist drives m her carriage to open proceedings with a sonata of Beethoven's, and afterwards co ucGumpany Long Ned, from the smithy, white that " harmonious black smith," with cavernous bass notes. " t>avs the moon with hideous howl," I submit that no objection ought to be made to this kind of co-operation onai;. gruuuds whatever. At any nte we Uave got rii of such objectiona* feelings, tf cintjf-.ever existed, ana are quite of one iitnd on thai matter. We have solo singers ot all grade- — laetts betweed pnuios of high standing and secohdos o no «oaud;UJ ; *and we have g t up ca^tal gl*ies, and sing them weil, too, *hieb we sh;>nld never he able to get, up at all if class feelings and prejudices interfered with ou- harmoui -us essays, and ptople who have hundreds a year refaaed to blend their voices with O'.hdr>s who uuve but Bhillinga a week. Our entire orchestra consists of a serviceable piano, hired at small cost, always gratuitously played, aud generally by.B>me young lady, of whom there are several well qualified m cue neigh bourhooil ever ready and prompt with their services*. I shall not recite any of ou: programmes, though these are generally printed and circulated-— th- sale of them usaually. defraying the charge of printing with a trifle over. at half-past seven, with a brief word of introduction from the chairman, the business olthe : night is got through m a couple of hours or so, by which time ou? dwellings are all closed, and our streets quiet ; and though t.e ale-h ouse is not ye sh it,and a beer-shop or two may remain open, the instance are now comparatively' rare m which there, is any -adjournment 'irom the scho >1 room to tue t .ip-rootn. We are happily ia,. a condition t) rsporC with perfeji jopd faith, that the VmtiueuWof these ch,eap concerts ia Byriv^elr' has told to a Very perceptible iXteat on theciiamctar and pursuits of tha inhabitants. It has gi<ren to many 'a you -.ig lad tomeihiug else .and som thing b tier to thiak about than mare kt beer uad skittles ,;" and it it has ouly.led a fe\t to cultivate a mtisis cal talent or a regard for tiie 'contents of bqok? t ey n that is something' Vurih sTiivTn j; i( l." Thete ia such a lack of -arrusement here for th^ people, and ottier temptation so prominent;, thai; I fancy somethiog might- be worked up <ni of this sketcn, which would be highly beneficial morally and socially, JJ anything is done m this matter, to sujcaed, it vi. st be don : irom the, highest of all auiives, "pour '.l'ainour.de Dieu," as .he French express it, which, interpreted, menus lor tha ijye of Uod.— l am, &g., -■■- A THDTR RjEMINGTOSr.