ST. BRIDE'S CONVENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3146, 25 March 1909, Page 5

ST. BRIDE'S CONVENT.

PRESENTATION OF MUSICAL CERTIFICATES.

There was a large attendance at St. Bride's Convent, yesterday afternoon, to witness the presentation of musical certificates to the pupils of the Convent who were successful in the recent examinations for theoretical and practical music from both the Trinity College and the Royal Academy of Music. The list of successful candidates has already been published in the columns of the Wairarapa Age. The proceedings were commenced i by the rendering of a very excellent : programme of musical items by those , who took honours in the senior exam- [ inations, which was very highly appreciated by those present. The i following programme was rendered: —Pianoforte solo, "Irish Dia- ( monds," No. 2, Pape, Miss Mc- ( Kenna; vocal solo, "With Verdure ' Clad," Miss Holloway; violin and < piano gavotte in E. Minor, the ; Misses O'Neill and Banify; piano- . forte solo, "Souvenir" (Ames), Miss Fuller; vocal duet, "Venetian Boat Song," the Misses Holloway and ' Harris; pianoforte solo, "Italian Concert" (Bach), Miss Hanify; vocal goto, "Orpheus to His Lute," Miss Edwards.' The Rev. Father Satmderson, the new assistant priest of the parish, in the absence of the Very Rev. Dean McKenna, made the presentation of the certificates, giving as a preliminary a very able address. In the course of his remarks he referred to the absence of their worthy pastor, who, he said, as the founder of the Convent, had watched its splendid progress through the ten years of its existence. Regarding the success of the pupils the speaker said that out ot the fifty who sat for the examinations it was worthy of note that not one of them had failed to secure a certificate, which he thought was a most creditable achievement, and one in which the Sisters might justly feel proud. In addition to the general success of the students Miss Phyllis Hanify had receiv.d the Royal Academy silver medal ,for the advanced, grade of pianoforte music, and Miss Mary O'Neill had bean awarded a. College Exhibition of the value of six guineas for violin playing in the junior; grade of the Trinity College examinations. Miss Hanify's success was all the more meritorious owing to the fact that she was only one mark behind the winner of the gold medal, who had received 137 marks, while she had receive 136. This young lady, who was two years younger than the gold medallist had been greatly praised by the examiner, Mr T. P. Dunhill, who predicted that her musical career would be highly successful. The performance of Miss O'Neill was equallv creditable, when it was considered that the young violinist had scarcely had two years' musical training, and the exhibition coming on the recommendation of such an eminent violinist as Mr Henry St. George, was a most praiseworthy feature. Miss O'Neill was fifth on the list for the examinations held in New Zealand, Canada, and Tasmania. "Pacts are stubborn things and speak for themselves," said the speaker, "and the success of the fifty pupils and the two distinctions that had beer gained bore out , the old saying most conclusively." Touching on the advance of the Convent, the speaker said that when the institution was established there were only six Sisters in the Convent, and now after a comparatively small period more than three times that number were scarcely able to cope with the work. In addition to this a branch Convent had been established at Pabiatua. In conclusion he thanked all those who were present and expressed the wish that their patronage would not only be eontinued, but considerably widened in .the good cause of the Convent. The presentation of certificates was then made amidst applause, and the gathering dispersed.