WEST END SCHOOL CONCERT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 158, 29 July 1909, Page 3

WEST END SCHOOL CONCERT

SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION. Every sound of applause—and the sounds were hearty, varied, and almost continuous—was deserved by the \Vest End school pupils last night, when they made their first appearance " upon the boards" at the Theatre Royal. The building was packed in all parts, and many would-be patrons of the dre.;s circle were disappointed, the authorities forbidding any additional seating. Some people had considered the West End School rather ambitious in taking such a hall for its concert. Ambitious they certainly were; ambitious to succeed in placing a record children's concert ')» fore the people, and they did it. Tt was an '' out-and-out" children's concert, so good that it wanted just on: or two professional touches to make it eijual to any children's troupe, and better than many an adult company aten in New Plymouth. No item depended for its success upon spectacular effect alone; every item was musical. iVm and precise movement was necessary in few numbers; the children were given !an opportunity of infusing tneir own ideas into the " business" of some of the humorous pieces, and disclosed the fact that there are some budding comic artists amongst the school pupils. One or two of the. u dandy darkies," the conductor of the "tin whistle band," the leader of the Maori haka, and perhaps half a dozen lads in the ranks of " the bold gendarmes," seemed, to grip thoroughly the idea of the words and express it by their by-play. It is hard to select one item and say it was the best, for the numbers were given by tiny mites, and by big boys and grown girls, and each was excellent, The pretty music of "Caller Ilerrin' ' was given by a tuneful chorus of fishwives, and this was perhaps the most popular because it was based on such music. But those juvenile carpenters, with their rhythmic hammering, planin", and sawing, made a great hit. So, too, did the wee. tots who sang "Rock the Cradle." It was amusing to see how maternal some of them were in the fondling of dolly, and the earnestness of the whole performance. The jingling sleigh-bells of another party f little girlies as they tripped round tno stage at the conclusion of each vorw prettily and distinctly sung, will also be a long time unforgotten. But there—-

what's the use? Every item was guud. The liaka by the team of Maoris- reminded one 'of Te Aute College boys The tambourine song" by the girls, in sav Spanish costume; the chorus Jiig Moon," and the "Good Sight All," were the spectacular items," the " Big Mooncontaining an amount of detail that was remarkable in such young pertormcrs "Good-night" introduced sonic pretty part singing. "Miss ililUgan's tjiris,' ;by the bigger girls, was an apt illustra [ tion of school girls' fondness for behay in» like mice when the cat's away, a'nd introduced some pretty and almost per feet physical exercises, " Cock-a-dood e--1 doo." with realistic cockerel crow hy the ■ little bovs: "The Hunters," by njthcr ' hintrer ones; "Ten Little Chinamen, hv°the girls; "Tin Whistle Band'' an( J

"Tlie Bold Gendarmes." by the biggef boys; and ''The Dol!s"-illustrative of ! the stiff-joint movements of modem doli*--»ej'e all interesting performances, ( the band and tile gendarmes being very | laughable. Two musical gems were th» overture and interlude played by U Whiteley orchestra under Mr. U «• "Tt'the conclusion of the performance Mr H J Gilbert, chairman of the committee, warmly eulogised Mrs. Dowln* the headmistress, to whom !» » '« the committee, was tj 8 * cess of the concert, which had li,ftedthe West End School out of debt. 11 teachers he said, deserved the thanks | of'the parents for the manner m wh.el. the whole programme nad There were insmtent calls foi Mi». ing. and «|lien she on Ihc^st^n^ Tlie school committee owes its tnaik* "hvUs oftiiechilto oo - the "make-up" and costuming |• ■client Tt is understood that the t.ik "were nearly £SO, whicji must o Xned a sptoilid result of the school, first big concert.