THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 7, 3 July 1911, Page 5

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

| ANOTHKIi PACKED HOUSE. By Telegraph—Press Association. | Wellington, Saturday. The Town Hall was again packed last night to its full limit to hear the Sheffield Ohoir. The part singing wa» , a, feature which roused fhe audience to the greatest enthusiasm, especially 'The Bells of St Michael's Tower," in which the effect produced is described by various superlatives. Dr. Harriss' composition, "Pan," also met with great favor. The orchestral accompaniment was a grca t fen ture, and at the closo Dr, Harriss signalled bis warm appreciation to the members of the orchestra.

THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. Christchurch, Last Night. The members of the Sheffield Choir arrived to-day from Wellington, and were met by* a fairly large crowd at Lyttclton, and by a very large crowd on the. Christchurch railway station. The host and hostesses of several members of the choir chiefly comprise those who were present. , The. public reception takes place to-morrow afternoon. This afternoon, with a local choir, the Shef* field Choir had a rehearsal of Elijah. In an interview, Dr". Harris dealt frankly with financial matters and with a statement that the ohoir was being over worked....As. Jo, the financial aspect of affairs,' Dr. Harriss stated that the lrealisatio» of his scheme of. ten.year*' tftgo to make the. British Empire better 'known to people of the British Isles and ■to advertise, the, British Dominions oversea in a manner that no Government could afford, had cost him £15,000 of his own money, and not a penny of anyone else's. All he required was that the people of the oversea Dominions v should pay the way of the choin Lord Strathcona was greatly interested in the scheme, and offered IJr. Harris a cheque for £IO,OOO, which he gratefully declined. ' He calculated that the expense of the present tour of the choir will cost .€50,000, and this amount does not include the sums spent in the initial stages of the movement. In respect to the choir's visit to South" Africa, he expected a deficit of £BOOO, owing to the. smallnesg of the halls. Even in Canada, where the halls could accommodate from six to eight thousand people, the previous twelve days' visit of the choir resulted in a loss of something like £soo. Us to the billeting of members of the choir,.he stated it was voluntarily offered. To have asked for it to be done would have been far too delicate a matter for him to suggest. As to the choir being overworked, he explained that the recent matinee was not included in the original plan, and involved the choir travelling there on Friday. The brief periods spent by the choir in different places was due to the fact that members of. the choir were unable 'to devote a greater period than six months and two weeks to the tour, and he was attempting to do the best possible in the circumstances:

i THE KING'S THANKS. Dr. Charles Harris, who, withthe Sheffield Choir, was on the sea on Coronation* Bay, despatched, on his arrival at Auckland, a telegram to the King congratulating Mis Majesty and the Queen on behalf of the 10,000 choiristers and ini strumentalists in Australasia associated with the choir in his festivals of. the Empire on their coronation, Dr. Harriss has received the following reply: "Buckingham Palace, June 20, am commanded by the King to thank you and all who joined with you for the loyal sentiments to which your telegram gave expression.—(Sir Arthur) Bigge."