ENTERTAINMENT AT GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2294, 17 December 1891, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENT AT GERALDINE.

Mr Aitken,- Mias] Pearson, and the teachers of the Geraldine school have something to be proud of in having provided for the school children, parents, and friends an entertainment which is pronounced by all who were present as the best of its, kind given in Geraldine. Luckily they had a fine evening on Tuesday, and- the consequence was that the seating, capacity of the large Volunteer HaU s Wastaxed to the utmost. The first parl'bf the programme consisted of action songSby the younger children, the girls ( being dressed in white, some having pink sashes and others light blue. They were led by •: Miss Pearson, who must receive the whole credit of providing this agreeable, part of the entertainment. The station songs were as follows :—“ I’d choose to be daisy;” (the children here each held in the right hand a bunch of daisies, and in the left a bunch of lilies, and the effect was remarkably pretty when they raised the right hand to give the daisies prominence above the other flowers) ; “Pd be a carpenter,” “ Now children, touch your head,” and “ I’m a builder. The children and Miss Pearson received-quite an ovation. Part 11. of the programme was the kinderspiel “ Rip van, Winkle,” and Mr Aitken is to be complimented for the excellent training given the children in the way of reciting, acting, and singing. The scene was supposed to be “ Ferny dell,” and the Volunteer scenery having been brought into use a pretty forest scene was produced, the gbßdrftn singing in the chorus sitting at the back of the stage in tiers. The title role in. the first part fell to Master George Sherratt,, who sustained it exceedingly well. ’ With his holiday attire and his fishing rod and basket he looked a thorough devotee of the piscatorial art. Master Ben. White was dressed up to represent “ The Red Rover,” and his singing and acting was really good, his gesticulations'being both graceful and correct. Leonard Heney, John Boughton, Mabel Burridge, May Morrison, and Bella Rennie acted as school children, T, White taking the part of Daintie •Davie, and Harry Berry the part of Neevy Nicknack. Miss Dunlop, dressed in dark material, filled the part of Widow Winkle with perfection, l singing nicely “ Here’s a Boor Widow.” Master John Morrison, as Rpry O’More, looked a true aoil of Brin with his green coat and a heavy shillalegh; his song was “ When I wap a Youth,” at the conclusion of which he.,went through a few steps of the Irish jig.. Master George Stonehouse, with his long black coat, black belltopper, and eyeglasses and umbrella, for get-up was as good as any; his character was Paul Pry, and he sang “My name is Paul Pry.” Miss Jennie Fyfe made a nice little Mary, arid sang sweetly “ Mary had a little lamb.” Penelope Prim was a part which suited Miss Fanny Gibson nicely; her song was “An ex-pupil teacher ami.” Miss Maggie Monison impersonated the ohatacter of Meg Merriles, the fortune teller, with a good deal of the masculine department required for the part; she sang “On the mountains away in the West” and “The Leaves of the Autumn,” and was loudly applauded. The second part of the kinderspiel was opened with the' chorus “When all our lessons are done,” and Master Freddy Dunlop appeared in the character of “A simple apprentice,” which he maintained with plenty of life ; his song was “ Dickory Dock,” followed by a chords, an interlude, a grand march, ano jr chorus “Listen to the happy strains.” When the third part opened a change of twenty years was supposed to have taken place. The introduction was a chorus “0, lovely Spring.” In some cases older ones took the places of younger children in this part. Miss Mina Dunlop took the place of Miss Fyfe as “ Mary Winkle,” Mr R._ Stonehouse represented “Dainty Davie” in the place of Master Ted White and Master S. Willoughby the part of “ Rip van Winkle” in place of George Sherratt. In this-part Miss Maggie Morrison was the recipient of a bouquet and a good rojlud of applause for her singing of “ Twenty years have come and gone.” Master S. Willoughby was so well got up, he certainly looked as though he had been moss bound for the past twenty years ; he recited very distinctly “ Rip’s Soliloquy.” After this, a small army of redcoats made their appearance on the stage and were put through their facings iinder an efficient juvenile captain. On their banner in large letters was the word “ Liberty,” and their song “Unfurl the flag of Liberty,” .was rendered effectively. E <ij Mr Masliri'inthe absence of .Mr R. H. Eearpolnt T. (chairman, of the committee), proposed a very hearty vote of thanks to : MrAitken, Mite Pearson and the other teachers for the very successful entertainpipntrthey had provided, he was sure it must have, cost them , a great deal of extra laboup apajrt from ordinary duties. ; He would, also move a hearty vote of thanhs,- to Miss A. Fish. (Applause). They owed to her an excessive debt of .gratitude for coming forward year after year tb ateisU in in ; their entertainments by playing the accompaniments. He wished to make a pleasing announcement to them, and that was, that the entertainment- that evening closed the school work'-’ for" the year, and they would ro-assemblo on the 25th January next year. ' T-he':- prizes would be distributed on the 26th. of-January and he hoped ‘they would all be prize takers. Mr---Aitken,' the headmaster, then impressed upon the parents the advisability of ‘ sending their children to school;.onithe opening day, so that they might have an opportunity of competing for, certificates.