CHOIR COMPETITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 69

CHOIR COMPETITION.

As a prelude to " Ye Oldfe Village Fete," to oomnienre on tho 15th, a church ohoir eompetifcfon was held at Burns Hall on the 15th, and proved a great success. The attendance was large, and the va.rous choirs and Their performance were received with enthusiasm. The Rev. G. Knowles Smith occupied the ohair, and Mr W. Paget Gale officiated as judge. The choirs participating belonged to tbp CaversJiam Baptist Ohuroh (condiKJtor, Mr C. Clark), Duttdaa Street Primitive Methodist (Mr Robson), Hanover Street Baptist (Mr Gilbert), Kew Primitive Methodist (Mr J. Davidson), and Mornina-ton Methodist Church (Mr T. Holgate). The pieces rendered were an anthem ! and a hymn (" Nearer, my God, to Thee "). Tlhe singing generally was good, the soprano being perh-ripo the best. A slight falling off on the part of the tenors was ooca6kmally noticeable. An item by the combined choirs, under the baton of Mr Paget Gale, brought the musical programme to a close, after which the judge announced his decisions. Hanover Street Baptist Church was accorded the first prize with 84 points for the anthem and 32 for the hymn ; — total, 116. Dundas Street Primitive Methodist Church dhoir secured the second prize with 82 points for the anthem and 32 points for th« hymn. The order of the remainder was: Cavereham Baptist Church choir, 89; Kew Primitive Methodist, 86; and Mornmgton Methodist Church choir 81. ilr J. F Arnold presented t,he prizes to the winning conductors with a few felicitous remark?, and votes of thaulcs were accorded to Mr Paget Gale, and to tho Dresden Company, which lent the organ free of charge. The accompanists were Mrs M'Laren, Miss Bennett, Mi=s Coatsworth, Miss Holo-ate, and Mr F. Clark. There was a sound of agony by night Of sneezing, wheezing, groaning, and of tears ; It woke adjacent slumberers in a fright And made them quake with 6uperstitiou3 fears ; Yet 'twas no spook that rent the midnight air. Or ghost, or goblin 'scaped from sepulchre— 'Twas only Binks, declaiming in despair; His cold was yorse, and he'd no Woods' Peppermint Cure*

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED The Lone Hand for September (Messrs .Gordon and. Goteh) is proiusely -illustrated, with a frontispiece in colours, entitled ""The Wine Press." Mr C. E. Emerson seeks to convey in print some idea of the beauties of "Gippsland in the Spring " A notable article is that ' dealing with "Tho Suction Gas Fiasco," which should be read by all who have an idea of using the gas. as a motive power. The wastage of childlife is dealt with under the heading of "Our Infan* Emigrants." In "The Lasb of the Cannibals" Mr James Cowan gives some particulars of the deceased rangatira Te Araki te Pohu. "The Peculiar Politics of Pekin," "How it Feels to Fly," and "Knowledge and Invention" are among the general articles in the number. The authorised autobiography of Madame Melba is continued, and there are five" short stories and instalments of two serials. There ar«- v three humorous articles, one being » description of "How I was Called to the English Bar." The colonial poet always finds a corner in the Lone Hand if his verses possess merit. On the whole the literary contents of the number will be found fairly interesting. " In the September number of the Review of Reviews for Australia the subject of the character sketch is Lord Hugh Cecil. The article- is a very striking one. ij the prophecy -of the writer is fulfilled Lord Hugh Cecil, will occupy a very "high position in English politics in times to come. A vary interesting and illuminating article is a _ compilation, of opinions given in connection with a visit of the press delegates to London The visiting journalists have sent messages to the Home folk, through' the medium of the Revie v of Reviews. The article is illustrated with a large number of photographs of prominent- pressmen. The section devoted to a review of the world's literature is, as usual, complete. The range of v subjects in the magazines of the world during the month is very wide, and the Review of Reviews gives a very excellent digest of the whole.. The bookr of the month are: "George Meredith in Anecdote and Criticism" and Mr Master* man's "The Condition of England." The September holiday number of the Windsor Magazine is packed with good stories by leading novelists and articles valuable and entertaining, all lavishly illustrated. In addition to a large instalment of Max Pemberton's new serial, "White Walls," there is a long complete story by, Justus Miles Forman, and an exhilarating piece of comedy by Robert Barr. Baroness Orczy presents another Hungarian theme; Charles G. D. Roberts contributes one of his prose-poems from wild life; and a mystery of modern London by Fred M. White contains a remarkably novel plot. A 1 very laughable farce by Norman Inncg shows that historical novelist for once in modern vein, and a rustic story by Dorothea Barrett has inspired some delightful pictures by Fred PegTam. The Captains of County Cricket are dealt with in an article by Sir Home Gordon, Bart., with notably good portraits of A. C. MacLaren, Lord Hawke, Pelham F. Warner, A. O. Jones, Gilbert F. Jessop, C. M'Gahey, Sir Arthur Hazlerigg, A. H. Hornby, A. E.Lawton, H. K. Foster, H; D, G. LevesonGower, and others, six of these portraits being finely reproduced as full-page plates. The art feature of the number deals with' the work of Mr C. E. Perugini, and is I accompanied by 16 admirable reproductions of his pictures, including a frontispiece plate in tints after his famous painting, "First Words of Love." There is also the first of am important series of articles on the Inland Navigation of Great Britain, illustrated with maps and prints; and the poets of the number include Dora Sigerson Shorter and Rosamund Marriott Watson. The New Magazine for August is to hand from Messrs Gordon and Gotcb. It contains a quantity of summer fiction in the way of short stories by well-known writeis. The "Stage and Stalls" supplement contains portraits of a number of leading actors and actresses. There is in addition a number of illustrated jokelets, and in Woman's Kingdom there is a talk about holiday outfits, domestic notes antf queries, etc.