GERALDINE DISTRICT SCHOOL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1447, 29 December 1885, Page 3

GERALDINE DISTRICT SCHOOL.

The annual concert in aid of (ho prize fund of the Geraldine District School, was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Wednesday evening last and was an enlire success. This is an event eagerly looked forward to every year by parents and friends, as well as by the children themselves, as the chief part of the entertainment is sustained by the Utt“r. The parents are pleased to see their children acquit themselves—as they generrlly do—so admirably in the parts allotted to them, whether singieg or acting, and I hose of (lie children who form a po’tion of the audience are eager to applaud their schoolfellows on the platform for upholding the credit of the school and tht-ir teachers by their cleverness To give some idea of ihe popularity of the entsrtainment, we may state that only four days’ notice was given, and yet the Hall was packed to such a degree that a number of people were unable to gain admittance. The evening was very fine, somewhat close, and the heat of the room was rather oppressive, notwithstanding as much ventilation as possible was given by means of the windows. The Geraldine Dramatic Club kindly lent their scenery for the occasion, which added a pleasing effect to the slage when the childrea were grouped upon it, though the mom was somewhat limited. Mr N. Dunlop, Chairman of the School Committee presided, and at the appointed hour called upon the Misses Fish to open the proceedings with an overture on the piano. It is needless to say that the piece chosen was k delightful one, and the skilful manner in which it was executed was fully appreciated by all pressnt. The following programme was -then gone through : Songs, “God Bless the Sailor Prince” by the school children ; “ Patriotic song,” ‘ ‘The Peasant,” and “ Good Night,” by the infant children ; “ The Wishing Cap," by Miss Dunlop ; “ Cherry Ripe,” by Miss Bosswall; “ Parting," by Mrs Brisco; “I Fear no Foe,” and “The Bugler,” by Mr Lodge , “ The Quantlet,” Mr H. W. Moore; “ Eve’s Lamentation," Miss M. Coltman ; recitation, Master White; dialogue, Misses F. Gibson, A. Hughes, and D. Colbert. The second part of the programme consisted of a drama entitled “Tom’s Dream," by a number of the school boys. The most pleasing feature ot the entertainment was the children’s singing. Everyone will allow, who has heard them sing, that this branch of the education of the children of the Geraldine School is done full justice to by the head teachers. We once heard it remarked that the air around Geraldine must be conducive to good singing, but, supposing this to be true, great credit is due to the teachers for the pains taken by them to bring the singing to such a degree of correctness. The infant children, under the charge of Mias Hamilton, acquitted themselves in a very pleasing manner in their several songs, receiving a universal encore for an action song “The Peasant," to which they responded by a repetition of the piece. The drama, which formed the second part of the entertainment, “Tom’s Dream,” was taken part in by a number of the school boys under the management of Mr Hughes. The piece is opened by the appearance of two boys, Tom and Charlie, the characters being taken by Masters H. Morrison and R. Stonehouse, one of whom reads a sensational piece about pirates and Indians from a novel. Tom, being left by his companion, falls asleep, and tiie scenes he has been reading about are so vividly impressed upon his imagination that they are reproduced in.a dream, and while he is asleep the various scenes are enacted by several boys. The following was the cast of the piece : —“ Dr Birch," Master Jas. Colbeit; “The Pirate, ’’ Master W. Waite; “ Jack ” (a midshipman), Master W. Slierratt; “Paquita" (an Indian girl), Master W. Annan; an Indian chief, Master H. Taylor. The boys, who had only been preparing for the piece for a few days previously, acted their parts very well indeed, and, as it was a change, the piece, of course, took immensely. The singing of Masters Colbert and Waite was very good, and the choruses taken by the actors and about a dozsn other boys, who were all dressed in sailor costume, were rendered very correctly. Of the ladies and gentlemen who assisted in the programme nearly all were old favorites, and their singing was much appreciated. Of the two who were comparatively little known tp the audience, Mrs Brisco and Mrs Moore, the former received an enthusiastic encore for the brilliant manner in which she rendered the ’'pretty song “ Parting,” hut did not,,.respond. Mr Moore sang “ The Gauntlet,”, in a clear and manly 'style. Miss Fish and Mias Foster played the accompaniments, the former accomoanying the children. Before closing the entertainment the Chairman said all must feel gratified at the manner in which tiie children had gone through their parts, considering the short time they had been preparing for ihe entertainmdnt, as it had not been decided to hold it before the holidays until a few days ago. Ho had one pleasing announcement to make to the children, and that was that the holidays would he for four weeks, from Monday, the 28th inat. He then called on Mr B. S. Cook, who proposed a hearty vote of thanka to the teachers and to the ladies and gentlemen who so kindly assisted during the evening, the vote being carried by acclamation. Mr Hughes returned thanks on behalf of the teachers. The children had only been in practice about five days, and if they had any shortcomings he hoped they would be looked over. He wished to thank those ladies, especially Mrs A. SherraD, who had kindly made the sailor costumes for the boys. A vote of thanks to the Chairman, and the singing of the National Anthem, brought a most successful entertainment to a olms.