PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SOIREE, CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 748, 3 April 1877, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SOIREE, CAMBRIDGE.

A Soiree m aid~ "of the guilds for repairing the 1 Manse' "Was" held,,, on, Thursday, tlie; 2tth tff' ;fiat" and it waaundoubtedljT'. this ' r most successful affair of its kind ever held ia Cambridge; v 7We are jpeakirig m the absence of any Tchomedge as to the amount q£ money, realised^ and simply refer to the ..entertainment as bucli, although we .have no .doubt as to its suocessjlooking at;it; frojii the other point of view. It is tdb often the case -that" people grudge money, for Jiny^ object connected with Church matters,' btit m this instance we. are sure. jbhat,tjbe ; .promoters can have no cause to complain' of want of support by 'the 1 public* ; It strikes us that as .a general. } thing every one likes to* receive something tangible for his money,, and sorely half-a-crown was never better, or more freely invested, than on Thursday last. . ' ':; '/ '' "'''\ ? The committee, of which Mr Brooks was the -efficient and energetic secretary, had secured both the Odd Fellows Hall- and -the ; Schoolroom, th c former for v the 'cehcer*, room, and the" latter for the tea. . / At 6 o'tjlockvyall sat dowi\ to a most. elegant repast, and if 'tnitward signs can be believed, m, p'il' enjoyed themselves. The'tr.ayf'j were provided -by IVtesdames, Neill, John Halley, W Russel',, }J Ferguson, J Ferguson, and r *,li SB es. Hally,, and Runcimari. '•"" " : ' i

If we : desired -to say- -anything about this part of the entertainment it woald be thatr wV considered the tables to have "been much too elegantly provided for, so much so, that , we fear the large variety and qu-tlity of eatibles, actually acted as preventatives to the thorough enjoyment of many, and this m a district noted for the simplicity of its entertainments is saying a * great deal. . . .... Owing to the concert being nelcl elsewhere — and m some degree to the want of time — the Schoolroom was not- decorated (it -we omit the many vases of flowers that graced the several tabled),' but this was hot felt «s a -want, as before half past seven £ the audience began, jk> assemble at the Odd Fellows 'Hall* which made up m this respect for what the other lacked.' It had been prettily tho' not heavily ; decorated with .native evergreens. ]aurel, ; iyy v an<i woodbine. Facing the ", entrance door, above the stage was .a Union Jack, surmounted by a motto "Welcome" m allegorical characters. ' At the side were two mottoes m old English character •' Union Strengthens," arid/.;". We Conquer Step by * Step," with borders of woodbine , and, hplly, and over the door was another. v Gwin Yn Herbynr V Byi l." The windows were also ornamented with wreaths of ferns and artificial roses.

The roon> is unfortunately very small, winch caused it to be rather inconveniently crowded :but as the evening was cool the consequences of this were not so ill as they might have been.

In all respects i't'he audience was oue of the most respectable and well coiiducted that we remember to have seen at Cambridge- .'

The chair having been taken by the Rev. S JNeill. The. folllo wing programme was carried out: — Hymn 519, choir; . Chairman's address, Anthem, "Jerusalem my Grlorious Home," choir ; Pianoforte solo, Miss Fleming ; .Recitation "David and Goliah," Mr H Battle; Song, "The Pilgrim Fathers," Miss G-errans ; Glee, " Soft Winds around us," choir ; Claironet solo, Mr Mackintosh; Reading "Glen Lee's advice to his son," Mr James Runciman ; Glee, " Red Cross Knight/ choir; Duet!;, Mr and Miss Caley; Address on " duty," the Rev. J Smith; Solo, Pi- nofurte, Mr T Harbutt j Song, "0 Pdikl Dove! O Fair Dove!" Mrs Mackintosh: Recitation."Gineord" from Rogers' "Italy," Mr S E Smith ; Glee, " See the Moonlight's beam/ choir ; Recitation, " What I live for," Mr Brooks; Solo, Pianoforte, Miss Fleming ; glee, "Calm be thy Slurnhers," ohoir. Votes of thanks to the ladies and to the choir were passed by acclamation, and duly responded to. and a very pleasurable entertainment was brought to a close by singing "God save the QueeV., . . . ■

Before clqsing we woald desire

'to tidd" a wSrptf^rais^ o^the^ choir, —or more properly Glee party— who contributed m so large a deg*e% to the enjoyment' of :he evening! ;For some considerable time past they fhaye. ..-'^vopked. : , assiduously -y -. at irehersals, and one of -the; .number, ; — the 'genialand talented leader — has only done so at great trouble, and we ieel warranted m saying that the different pieces could not have been better rendered m any country district m the province. We trust that the ladies who' provided "the sumptuous , refection received due : praise to which we add our meed i cheerfully^— Own Correspondent.