TE AWAMUTU. (Hamilton Presbyterian CHURCH. Concert in aid of the Harmonium Fund.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1443, 1 October 1881, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

(Hamilton Presbyterian CHURCH. Concert in aid of the Harmonium Fund.

Resident Magistrate's Court. The monthly Court was held at Te Awamutu on Thursday before H. W. Northcroft, Esq., R.M. There wore no police cases for hearing, and the civil cd&es weie as follows :—: — Delaney v. Hackett. — Mr G-resh-am for plaintiff. The defendant did not appear. Judgment for plaintiff £5 9s 6d, costs £2 9s. Gresham v. Bright. —This was a judgment summons for £5 os fid. Order made for defendant to pay the debt £5 os Gd, and costs £1 16s, hy monthly instalments of £1, the first instalment to be paid on 15th October.

The Road Board Dispute. The objection that was made to the present Road Board continuing in office appears to have come to an end, as the prohibition to pay cheques drawn by the holders of office lodged by those who did not hold office, appears to be untenable ; and there are evidences of attention to the necessary repairs of the roads in the district that show that the public will not be compelled to play poor Pilgarlic and wait for its roads, while those whose little hands were never made to fight choose to tear each other's eyes.— (Correspondent, Sept. 30th).

English farmers are beginning to find out that thin sowing of wheat tends to larger ears and consequent larger produce per acre. " Care should be taken as to the habits of a man to be hired, especially if your children are to associate with hinij and see that he does not use vulgar language,"

says the New York Tribune. Manures applied to soils are of use in three ways :— Firat, by improving the physical condition, of the soil; second, by acting as solvents ; and third, by diroctly feeding the plant,

The concert which came off in the Oddfellows' Hull, Hamilton East, on Thursday night, in aid of the harmonium fund of the Presbyterian Church, was the moat successful 'df tits kind that has been given in Hamilton for a long time. The lady and gentlemen amateura who .kindly volunteered their services were at no little pains .to secure this success, and the prai&'e ''bestowed on* them on Thursday night, was a grateful recognition of their efforts. * Looking at its general excellence,we are loth? to } find tfny fault; hut we cannot helg thinking an error was committed in nbi introducing a little of the comic element into the programme. We ate quite aware that many difficulties stand in the way, but the advantages to be secured would warrant the taking a little trouble. One of the lady performers was unavoidably absent, and two or three changes had, conquently, to bo made in the programme, which otherwise was faithfully adhered to. The hall was comfortably filled by a fashionable and appreciative audience. The concert opened with an overture from "The Pirates of Penzance" by Miss Newell (piano), Messrs Hadfielcl (cornet), Meichem (violin), and J. Edgecumbe (flute). 'I his and the overture, "Zampa," to the second part, by Mesdames RossWatts, and Hay, and Misses Newell and Sandea (pianos), and the other performers as above, were genuinely successful, the time, especially in "Zampa,'' being admirable. Much praise is due to the conductor, Mr Bell, for the delight which these instrumental selections afforded. The choruses, too, more especially " 0 hush thee, my baby," nnd "Oarnovale," were carefully and correctly rendered, though the male voioes were hardly strong enough. The pianoforte duets, from " Masaniello" by the Misses Cawkwell, and from " Martha " by Mi-s Newell and Mr Bell, were finished performances, and fully earned the applause accorded them. Of the vocal duets, "The Happy Hunter," by Mesdames Dawson and Ross- Watts, and "Ye Banks and Braes" by Mesdames Yon Stunner and Dawson, the samey might be_ said, their careful rendition giving evidence of assiduous rehearsal. For the rest, it is hoped that the selection of a few for special mention may not be deemed invidious. It is difficult to award the palm to any individual, but we are not lar out in saying that the honour of having conferred the greatest amount of pleasure, lay, among the soloists, between Mrs Dawson and Mrs Gard. The last named lady is a comparative stranger lv Hamilton, and to those who had not heard her before, her powerful rendering of " Non c ver" came as a pleasing surprise. _ Possessing a delicate soprano voice, Mrs Gard has it under perfect control. The song was a model of feeling and expression. Mrs Dawson has been a favorite for many years, and her audience would indeed have been disappointed had "Jessie's Dream" been other than the delightful mo> ccati it was. The ballad itself possesses singular attraction, but Mrs Dawson contrived to impart a new charm to it, and had it not been arranged that there should be no encores, she would undoubtedly have had to repeat it. Mrs Gard also was rapturously encored. Mrs Murray sang "The " Swiss Heulsman" with taste and spirit, and with Miss Murray shared the applause awarded for the duet "The Mermaid's Sons 1 ," in which the blending of voices was happy in the extreme. Miss Kate Hunt sang, as she always does charmingly, "Sing on Sweet Bird," and had also to forego responding to an encore. Mrs Hay scored a triumph in "London Bridge," nnd the duet " Oh could I teach yon Warbling Bird" was nicely rendered by Mrs Home and Miss Trcwhellar. Mr Tonks san^ "The Tar's Farewell" with taste and expression, though we have heard him to better advantage. Mr TrewhelLu 1 was thoroughly successful in "True till Death," and gives promise of .ichieving good tilings. " The Rhein Wine" was contributed by Mr H. Steelo, but we should have preferred one of th 11 gentleman's admirable seiio-comic ditties, in which he is much mote at home than in sentimental 3ongs. Wo hnd almost forgotten to say a word in piaise of tho vocal quintette by Mesfl.unps Ross-Watts, Daw-jnn, and tVie M>*<.r-, Edurooumbe, "Blow Gentle Gales," which was one of the bpsfc things on the piogiamme. The accompaniments to the various s^lo« were played by Mrs RossW.itts, Mi'-s Novell, Mis Commons, and Mr Boil, to whom no snvill amount of praise is dup. We could wish that such piitertunments were of moie frequent occurrence. Not only do they constitute a source ot healthful amusement, but they tend in no insignificant degree to keep alive a taste for the higher standards of musical excellence, and should be fostered and encouraged in every possible

way. We ?ro glad fco learn that in a financial no less than a mnsic.il .snnse the concert was a success. The amount taken at the door was something over £16.