ST. ANDREW SOCIETY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1940, Page 7

ST. ANDREW SOCIETY

MONTHLY GATHERING ADDRESS BY MISS I. M. KIRK. CONCERT & DANCE PROGRAMME. War anxieties and petrol restrictions have had little depressive effect on Scots’ national spirit, if Saturday evening's gathering of the Saint Andrew Society may be taken as a criterion. An excellent concert programme. splendid dance music, and a large attendance combined to create that atmosphere of enjoyment and enthusiasm which has come to be regularly associated with the society’s functions. The outstanding item of the concern was a talk by Miss I. M. Kirk, M.A., entitled: "A Colonial Looks at Scotland." Speaking entirely without notes, and with frequent flashes of humour, Miss Kirk grasped, and throughout retained, the wholehearted interest and attention of her hearers. In this she was no doubt assisted by the fact that her subject was one of peculiar appeal to the members cf the Saint Andrew Society. Nevertheless, her talk was a remarkable demonstration of memory and rhetorical ability. Vocal solos by Mrs J. Moss ("Down the burn, Davie," and “Bonnie Scotland, I adore thee,”) Miss Heather Douglas (Hush-a-bye, birdie" and “When the Kye come hame”) and Mr William C. Mann (“There’s a wee bit land,” and "Border Ballad"), and vocal duets by Mrs Burke and Miss O’Donnell ("My luve is like a red, red rose” and "Caller herrin’ ”) were received with well-merited applause, resulting in every case with an encore.

Chieftainess Mrs Robt Miller gave great pleasure with her humorous recitations, including the ever-popular "Mphm" (if one may attempt a spelling that floored the schoolmaster in the story). Miss Edna Corlett’s dancing seemed, if possible, to be more skiliui and polished than ever; her contributions, the Sean Triubhais, and the Sailor’s Hornpipe, were greeted with vociferous applause. Mrs H. M. Morton’s skiliui pianoforte accompaniments gave an added artistry to rhe vocal items. The Society’s Pipe Band paraded the town before the gathering, and also contributed two welcome items in the course of the concert. In the dancing that followed the concert, an interesting feature was the introduction of “Monymusk,” the latest product of the society's weekly dance practises. Ulis proved to be graceiui and entertaining to watch, and was obviously highly enjoyable to the participants. Reels and country dances, with an occasional waltz or other old time dance, filled the rest of the dance programme. Pipe music for the dancing was played by Chiefs Piper Thos Pickett, Miss Mattie Mackenzie (of Beaumont, Central Otago), and Pipers L. Trass, Neil Dickel and J. Mackenzie Douglas. It was something of a novelty for members of the society to dance to the piping of a lady, and very enjoyable it proved.

The usual tasteful supper was provided by Mrs Johnnie Allan and net lady assistants. The evening closed with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne, md the National Anthem, for which the accompaniments were played bj Mrs J. Y. Douglas. A notable absentee from the gathering was the society s efficient M.C.. Mr J. W. Henderson, who. unfortunately, has been a victim of the prevailing influenza. It was announced that the next gathering would take place on August 24.