CAMBRIDGE LITERARY EVENINGS

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2624, 7 May 1889, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE LITERARY EVENINGS

Till', lirst of the new series of literary evenings was held in S. Andrew's schoolroom, Cambridge, on Wednesday livening , , when Major Wilson gave an interesting lecture on "Maori Poetry." Vocal and iij.striiiiicutnl .selections were given at intervals by several ladies and gentlemen in first-class style, and the evening passed pleasantly. When calling attention to this course of lectures in one of our late issues, we remarked that from what we could Rather among the inhabitants of the town, to ensure .success a radical change was necessary, the former course having been much too deep for the majority of the audiences. That our prognostication was correct was amply demonstrated at the last meeting, for the whole of the audience consisted of twet.ty-twn individuals, viz., seven ladies, eleven gmtlenion, and four children, ten of whom were performers or otherwise took part in the entertainment. This small attendance must have been very Railing to the lecturer, but he, nevertheless, gave the lecture with as much spirit iis if the room had been filled. Several of thn promoters ot these literary evenings expressed themselves greatly astonished at the small attendance, especially as tlin former series had been a great success. From remarks that fell from their lips, it is clear thut the Cambridge public does not unburden its mind to them as it dues to us, and consequently we think it well to give » few ot the compl.iints wo have recrived on the subject :—

First, in the former series there \v;is tin) inucli theology for tlic majority of the audience, and most—nut all—nf th« lectures wore " t'pci dry and uninteresting." From all directions we have received O'liiipl.-iiuts (lint they weie not hiiinoroiw enough, from wliicli wo presuuifi something is wanted that will occasionally cause a good Secondly, most of tlio discourses were too long—especially the theological ones. Thirdly, the schoolroom is usually very cold, and to sit for two hours upon forms that have not any baclc-rests is rather trying to human nuturi , , particularly if the leeUire is upon a subject that does not interest. The musical portions of the entcilaininents have usually tieon very pood, but even of this part of tin: programme wo have received complaints that it is a tax upon the performers, and that when a conceit is Rut up for any other object, the. local singers have exhausted their repertoire, and consequently decline to pive their eervieos on tlie ground that they have sung all their stings in public. ()t course there always have been and always will be grumblers, and we think tin: objections as to the musical portion may well be passed over, but the otheis cannot be disposed of so easily, for we fire sure that it is ii matter of vital importance to the success of these evenings, that some nielhoil r-hould be aci:;t'ced to meet the wishes of the public. The pro-noteis have; lust three of their most able coadjutors in the persons of .Messts Stewart, Russell and Dr. Hooper, whose places it will be. very dillicult to fill ; and as the cry of the inhabitants is for something of a humorou-v or perhaps we sh"iild say comic—nature th.it renders the difficulty even greater, for unless a man has a humorous vein inborn in him, it is impossible for him to properly interpret the humour of others. ,V man 'fitted only to be a mute at a funeral would cut but a sorry figure as a buffoon. We trust the committee may be able to remedy the defects that we, on behalf of the Cambridge public, have pointed out, and that we shall not again lure to record the attendance of such ii poor audience as the one Major Wilson addressed on Wednesday.