Over £600 Raised for Mayor's Unemployment Fund

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 19, 23 November 1934, Page 14

Over £600 Raised for Mayor's Unemployment Fund

Dunedin Is Proud of Total "Achieved At This _ Year’ S | Community Sings

Special; to the

Radio Record

y proud: of ‘the. amoutit; sed fer charity by "thie e Cotninumity Sings. this year, the sum’ of’ having been . "ig double the..total achieved last’'year. ° Under the "lanergetic leadership of Mr. H. P. Desmoulin and Mr. J. F. HimBig; swith; Mr. Alf, ‘Pettit~at the piano, the sings have proved "extrem pular::.Bhe-final sing for..the seagon was held in ¢ &-Diinedin® own all: on Monday, November 12.

D #RING tlie season 24 sings . were held; and the enthusiasm shownl throughout 'Showed a marked improve- meit op tle prerious year with an in- creaze i reveuue This year the sings were: Jaeld j the: Strand 'Mleatie by courtesy Of: Fullei Hayward 'heatres Big Brother; Biil couducted two: big Sings during the children S vacation, these: being: held in 'the Town: Hall and at eath session the: place waS packed, it beipg estimated that at Jeast; 9000 attended MMi W: Ra Sincliit alsa conducted sings in the Strand {Theatre and these: too ivere; Very successful Tbe final sing was: held in 'the big @owh Hall Which has: a "seating: ac commodation of 3000 and this WaS taxed CO the utmost: People were aIso standing a1 ihe: back 'of the screen and the total #ttendance nist jave: been about 4000 while 'hundieds Were: unable to: gain admission; Tpis was a won-: derful climax to the: season a splendid

programme was arranged in addition ‘to the community numbers. The joiner leaders for the evening were ‘Messrs. H, -P.. Desmoulin and J. F. Himburg, who minaged a wonderful night’s work, everyone being wound up to the community feeling... ‘Mr, Desmoulin has been leading most of. the sings’ during the season, and he received: a flattering reception trom the audience. It is very. gratifying to know that £660 was collected: this year ; out of ‘this. £87 was collected for one of the.sings for the Children’s Christmas’ Cheer Fund, the .balance to go to the Mayor’s Unemployment Fund. This shows ‘a big inerease on the total for last: year; which was £897. Community singing has certainly taken on immensely' in Dunedin this year. One thing of which Dunedin is proud is that the money: ‘thus raised was all given voluntarily..as ‘no raffles of any description were carried out, and this speaks

volumes for the public appreciation of the singing. During the season the staff of the Waipori Power Station sent regularly a, contribution of 8/- each week, and besides these regular contributions sums of £1 and £5 were received from a number of listeners-in, The organising of these. sings takes a good deal of time and’ work, and. this was ably carried éit'*by the- gectetary, Mr. J. F. Himburg, who has, .by. his enthusiasm, made the sings such a great success as they. have been this year. Mr. Alf, Pettit always received. a good réception, as he so willingly acted as pianist throughout the season, :and on Monday night he was given an ovation at his appearance on the stage, .. By special request from several~ of "his admirers, he played in conjunction’ with the song, the Musical Box to "The Old Spinning Wheel," and also. his own arrangement of the bells. in "The Bells ‘of ‘St... Mary's." "ee oMr.’ Arthur tiever faite to please every section of the audience

with: his. singing of "Good-bye" ‘from "The White Horse Inn," and, of "The Legion of the Lost"; he was given a wonderful reception on Monday. Misses ‘Gwendoline Smith, Flora Bain, and Ethel Todd, members of. the. Lily Stevens Dancing Class, gave a splen.,did illustration. .of "The Little Dutch Mill." The two versatile Phillips ‘Sissters gave a delightful rendering on the cornet and piano, and received a merited reception. Mr, A. Turnbull, who is 66 years of age, gave an original clog. dance, . The Huimai. Maori party of 24. gave some well-known and tuneful Maori songs, in addition to hakas, and received a grand reception. One of the gems of the evening was a song, "One Kiss" . from: the. "Blue Moon," sung by Mrs. ©. Searle, with full orchestral accompaniment, ° Miss Bessie Gallien gave'a' very fine rendering of "The Old. Spinning Wheel." Throughout the year. the ‘committee have been very fortunate in having the .assistance of good artists, . Begg’s Orchestra, under -the conductorship of Mr. J, F, Himburg,. played at the final sing from 7.30 to 8 p.m., and also accompanied the ‘singers and the community numbers. Owing to the length of the programme: ‘quite a number of the acknowledgments. of donations had. to -be omitted, but this was unavoidable. They. were, however, acknowledged through the. paper, and. also on the following evening Mr. Desmoulins acknowledged them @ jer the air.