ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 639, 21 May 1878, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT. TO Tlir. KIIITOR <>V TUB EVJSNINCI MAIL

Siit,-As President of the Oauiaru Philharmonic Society, I deem it incumbent mi me to protest against the chargeof disorderly conduct made against certain of the. "audience in your critique! of the late concert. .1 have attended most of the concerts given in Oamarn during the last fourteen years, and I must say that a move, orderly audience than that which assembled on' Friday evening could not be desired. I believe it is not tho correct thing to applaud at concerts consisting of sacred music, but during the first pari: of our concert there was very little "departure from propriety in this respect. Therefore 1 conclude that as the strictures contained in your crithpie are so severe, they must necessarily refer lo the conduct of some of the audience* during the rendering of the socond part of the programme. This being so, I most emphatically deny that even a symptom of the conduct which your reporter stigmatises as admissible only in tap-rooms was observable ; indeed, any unbiassed listener could not fail to consider _tlic hearty applauses other than a well-merited recognition of the efforts of the ladies and gentlemen to whom the second part was mainly entrusted, and to whom in a great measure may bo attributed the success of tho inaugural concert, but whose existence your reporter has coolly ignored. In writing thus I wish it to bo understood that" I am actuated solely by a desire for the suocess of the Society ; but when I see your columns devoted t» the praise- of a favored few, and pointedly slighting many of equal, if not supurinr, musical ability and experience, .and also unjustly censuring thoso upon whom tho Society'is dependent for support, 1 consider it my duty to point out that such a course is eminently calculated to disgust the public, to create dissension amongst the members, and utterly ruin tho prospects of the Society.—J am, Ac, J. O'Mbaoiiek. Oamaru, 20th May, 1878.