THE KING'S CHORISTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 324, 16 January 1909, Page 4

THE KING'S CHORISTERS.

(M Monday, Xuveiubei- llith, a [party of working liivn annum-pd at Windsor Ui.-,tlc in suig before tlicir Majesties Uic King and (,>uecn. and the Kins and (Jneen of Sweden. They were called tlte Hanky (ilee and Al idrigal Society ; anl, .Miii-i- only their sterling murit "has obtained them so great a distinction, a few ■unrtii-nlai-i loin-crning them cannot fail to lie of interest.

In tii.' autumn (if 1(105, a very uncomliidii im:,:;'iit occurred in connection with .the chicl Mioi-.il competition of the Walsh XatiL.i.ii Ksiuldfotl, at Uirnar,von. England i,.i, r,presented liy two tlioir.s, botli ■hailing ivoiu the Staffordsh:rc Potteries, (in,, of these organisations sang under the title of the Flanlt-v ami District Choral Societv, ami the other miller that of the North Stallonl 'District Choir.

; The lirst-rianieil socictv hail alreailv earned tne right to boast of beiii-' t>''e only English-choir, which, up to" that nioinent. had wrested from the Welsh the Jilne Hiband of tile singing world On this occasion, hou'cvvr, ,t \ u ]_ , 0 give way in pride of place to the other choral liody liailiiig f r , m , i], t . lotteries, At that particular time the choir w»s in a transition state. .Mr .lames darner, who had led the singers to victoiv on tto only other occasion they had ventured to contest for the principal National Kisteddfod.award, was seriously indisposed, and Mr John .|. nM ,. s . vv l,;, had won his spurs alrcadv as a very successful small adult choir conductor, was invited to act as his—Air earners —deputy. <hi the death of Mr darner, JJ r .lolm

James was appointed conductor uf the Hanlcy (ilec and Madrigal Society. Jle has since had an uphill light, but the work has been congenial, and today the society's outlook is brighter than it has been lor several years past. Mr .John James is a self-taught niusicciaiii. lie became infatuated with the tonic-sol-fa at a very, early period of Ills career, and. as a boy, showed uncommon skill in a. Dissenting church choir, lie became u member of the (ilec and Madrigal Society, but found his time too occupied to give that attention, as a cliorester to the work which he properly looks for in others.

His business—that of a colliery engineer—took him from his home at an early hour each morning, and kept him oc'cupied until the evening had well advanced. Hut his determination to make his way in music caused him to rise two hours each morning earlier than it was necessary for him to g<i to his daily duties, -and to remain studying each evening until near midnight. His lirst opportunity came shortly after the opening of a new Wcsleva'n Church at Hanley. At short notice' lie trained a choir of children for a competition held at Hanley, and quite astonished everybody with the easiness of the mastery. «Two years later Jlr James formed an adult choir of under fifty voices, and entered them for the chief contest at Jlorecainbe Festival in 1!)(I3. lie jint only brought, away the lirst prize, but made such a deep impression that the choir was engaged specially for the succeeding festival. It reached its high-water mark in 11MIS, when its singing created at Morecambe a veritable sensation.

The Hanley Clee and .Madrigal Society consists of over two hundred singers, composed principally of working people engaged in the Potteries ; but there are in its rank a good number of schoolteachers and shop-assistants. They are hoping to make a great impression at the Queen's Hall. London, when they s'ng the choral part of "The Damnation of Fattst," and thev -are determined that their loyalty shall not be found wanting when they visit Windsor.

■ The Koyal programme is comparative ly -simple ; but it will allord the singer: an opportunity to build up that loveli harmonic tone for which North Stafford shire singers are noted.