ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 97, 10 September 1912, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

" ESTHER." Bradbury's well-known pretty cantata. "Esther, tile Beautiful Queen'.'' will be staged in the Good Templar Hall this evening by a large choir and orchestra, wider the condticiorship of Mr \V (t Keid. The proceeds will be in aid of St. Andrew's l'resbyf erian Church. The story of "Esther" is familiar to many. There was a man named Hainan, whom King Ahasueriis had honored above every other man in the kingdom. Xow Hainan grew very proud, because the king had given him so many honors, and lie wanted all the people to bow down to him. There was only one man who did not do so, and bis name was .Mordecai, a Jew. Thus man made Unman very angry; indeed, so angry that he persuaded the king to make a law that all (ho Jews should be killed. When Queen Esther beard of this she determined to save the Jews if she could, and so, after she bad fasted and prayed for three days, she put on her royal robes and went and stood before the king to proffer her request. Queen Esther was very much afraid that the king would not listen to her, but when he saw her he held out his golden sceptre, as a sign that lie would listen to her. The act in which Esther touches the sceptre, and thus gains the end, is said to lend itself to beautiful interpretation by the cantata.