MILITARY TOURNAMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12609, 20 November 1926, Page 6

MILITARY TOURNAMENT

SEARCHLIGHT TATTOO BRILLIANT AND STIRRING CEREMONIAL GRAND QUEEN CARNIVAL Definite arrangements have now been completed for the holding of the Grand Naval and Military Tournament and Searchlight Tattoo at Newtown Park in March next, the actual dates fixed for tho big event being March drd, 4th, oth, 7th, and Bth, thereby coinciding with tho Royal visit. A performance will be staged on the evening of each of tho dates mentioned, ant} it is probable also that there will be an additional production on the afternoon of Monday, March 7th. r lhe tattoo, which will be staged on a scale unprecedented in the Southern Hemisphere, will comprise the star features of tiie celebrated Wembley and Aldershot Tattoos, which created such a marked impression in England last year. Tho whole of the costumes, uniforms, banners, and special lighting effects, which have been hired from London at a cost of £3OOO, -will arrive in New Zealand by tho Mahana at tho end of the present month, and the exact operation orders also having been obtained, it is claimed that the people of Wellington are assured of a spectacle which will far excel the “Citizen-Soldiers’ Pageant’* held at Newtown Park in March, 1924, both in brilliance and stirrinc effects.

To stage the tattoo will require no less than 1700 performers whose services are being given gratuitously, and already many of them are getting into training. Next week, the Ist Battalion Wellington Regiment will commence training at Trentham Camp for the modern battle scene, and the Royal New Zealand Artillery also will commence practising with the spectacular artillery drive, which is always a star feature of military tournaments and tattoce at Homo.

SPECTACULAR FkATURES Great interest is being attached to the presentation of the grand finale, “Soldiers of the King,” which stirred Lomdou to the depths. In this, the most celebrated feature of the exhibition, appeared soldiers in uniforms throughout the ages paying homage to the central figure of St. George, and during the staging of it a special choir sang tho hymns, “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “Abide With Me.” While this latter hymn was being sung, and in which the whole concourse at Wembley invariably joined,, a pale blue light lit up groups of crosses standing amid the poppies of Flanders fields, which appeared in the distance. This famous scene is to be reproduced at Newtown Park • the combined musical societies of Wellington, under the conductorship of Mr H. Temple ' ite, having undertaken to supply the necessary choir of between 200 and 300 voices. Other star items will be plaiting an illuminated maypole by forty Hussars, special displays bv tho Y.M.C.A., under Captain "Duffy, marching, counter-marching, and figure-marching with hundreds of coloured elaborate firework displays, fanfare of searchlights, etc. THE QUEEN CARNIVAL Preceding the holding of the tattoo, a grand queen carnival will be held, commencing almost immediately. The organisations . which have undertaken to run candidates in this competition are:— (1) The Navy League; (2) The Community Club; (3) The Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association; (4) The Artillery units ; and (5) The Red Cross Society. Another organisation has now kindly offered to run a sixth candidate, and this will be considered by the executive at its next mfeeting. The value of a vote has been fixed at Id. The queen candidates will assume the roles of historic Queens of England, the correct costumes for same and of their maids having been obtained from ’London. Additional costumes have been secured of fashions in the respective periods in which these queens reigned. Half the proceeds of the Tournament and Tattoo will go to the Community Club, established for the benefit of Territorials and Senior Cadet 9, and half to the local regimental f -ds. Tho organisations running queen candidates will receive half the net profits they make, the balance going to the joint undertaking. Mr R. W. Shalicrass has been appointed secretary.