CAMBRIDGE WEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2875, 16 December 1890, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE WEST.

A CoNCi:in' and dance was given in tho Cambridge West School, on Friday evening, to raise funds for that institution. The concert began so-m after 8 p.m., at which timo the school was crowded. The chaitman of the School Committee (Mr T. W. Hicks), presided and made n few explanatory remarks previuus to the commencement fit' the concert. He said the Cambridge West Committee had been waiting a considerable tiniß to edge in with their entertainment, and as soon as they announced it, the school committee oil the East side also announced a convert. He thought that was too bad. He then spoke to the parents of the children who attend the school, and complained of the irregularity of such attendance. He said the committee were determined to put a stop to it, and intended putting the compulsory clauses into force. At present their teaching stall was a good one, but if the average attendance were not better than it had been of late, they would lose one of the assistant teachers. That would be a retrograde movement that he thought none of them would like to see, and the Committee had decided that it should not be, for they had decided to make examples of three or four of the most flagrant offenders, and he could assure them that lie, as Chairman, should not hesitate to do his duty by appearing in the Police Court against such offenders. He sincerely hoped parents would not render that step necessary. He well recollected the time when Pukeknra was a very different place to what it is now. Instead of hearing the merry voices of childreu, thero was then only to be heard the solitary cow-bell and the cry of the uncivilised Maori; indeed lie was the first to —as he might term it—civilise the ground on which the school stood, for he was the one that ploughed it; and tho plough was one of the great agents of civilisation. He explained why the concert was held, and the performance then commenced, the following being the programme Piano duet, "Diabelli's duet in D." Misses Hicks; song, "The Tight Little Island,'' Mr H. R. Hyatt; song. " Killarney," Miss L. Roberts; reading, "A Criticism of the English, by a Fmnclnivin." R iv. C. H. Garland; song, "Tell Her I L ive Her So," Mr T. Prince; duet, "Love and War,'' Mes-iis (). (Jarland and W. Ch.imbeis; piano solo, "The Maid of Sker," Mis* M. Nixon ; song, " f Seek for Thee in every Flower." Mr < lilmer; song, "The Lunch of Cow.,lips' Miss Bell ; song, " Alio-, Whore Art Thou," Mr O. Garland ; song, " Dear Heart." Mrs Chit.tv ; song, "Tho Arab's Farewell en his Steed." Mr T. l'riuce; " Tho White Squall, Mr I). Garland ; song, "Tho Four Maries," Miss Bell. Several of the items were loudly applauded, but as there was a dance to follow, encores were not allowed. Tho piece de resistance wa- Messrs (iarlaud and Chambers duct, "Love and War." Mrs Chitty and Miss Bell both sang bettor than we have ever heaid them do before, and Miss Roberts, who made her debut, also created a verv favourably impression. We have heard Miss Nixon play many much more difficult pianoforto solos than the one she gave the other evening, but we have never heard her render one half as well as r.he did "Tho Maid of Sker." Messrs (:ilmer. Prince, and O. Garland acquitted themselves well, and the Rev. C. H. Carland fairly brought down the house with his reading'.—ln proposing a vote of thanks to the performers the chairman made a somewhat lengt'.iy but amusing speech, I after which the National Anthem was I sung, and tho devotees of Terpsichore then I had their innings. We think Messrs O. Garland and Hyatt senr. should havo been thanked, tho former for arranging the programme and the latter for lending his piano.