A LADY’S LETTER FROM AUCKLAND.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 638, 25 July 1891, Page 2

A LADY’S LETTER FROM AUCKLAND.

IBy Standard Special Correspondent—"A.T.”] July 15th. Any mention of the Choral Society’s Concert on Tuesday (the 7th inst.) was crowded out of my last'letter. However, it ia not yet too late to give you some little account of it. The works performed were Spohr’s “Last Judgment” and Haydn’s “Third Mass,” two grand compositions which are not so well known as lighter and less difficult oratorios. The Society and the conductor, Herr Schmitt, had a trying task before them, but they (acquitted themselves splendidly. The choruses were rendered with much spirit, precision, and effect, all the voices taking up their leads boldly at the vigorous call of the baton. The orchestra grappled bravely and conscietiously with Spohr’s terrible chromatic passages and wonderful progressions, giving great promise of future excellence, although it will be years before they can reach the proficiency attained before the lamentable secession of their best members some two years ago, and the formation of the Orchestral Union. The soloists in the first work were Miss Battley (soprano), Mrs Edgar (contralto), Mr Martin (tenor), and Mr O. Taylor (bass). Mrs Edgar and Mr Martin also appeared in the Mass, Miss Harding and Mr Worrall taking the soprano and bass solos. The Auckland climate appears to be particularly trying to the voice, and we have very few really good soloists here. Mr Taylor’s voice is always liked, ■ but Mr Martin was suffering from a severe oold, and it was only owing to great persuasion that he was induced to perform his difficult part on Tuesday night. However, he did very well. The lovely quartette and chorus, “ Blest are the Departed,” was in itself worth going to bear. It was a pure musical treat which would have compensated for any want of proficiency. Fortunately, however, no compensation was required.

It is a great disappointment when one of these concerts 1s not so good as usual from want of preparation or lack of oare. For a good seat at a Choral Concert in Auckland means going long before 8 o’clock, and waiting patiently till the performance begins. The hall is ugly and dirty and bare, the seats are hard and uncomfortable. By the time the concert is over the audience are hungry and tired, for the most part distinctly conscious of a back-bone—and consequently rather disposed to be critical. Last Tuesday we were at the hall very soon after the doors were opened, but found it already half fil'ed. The monotony of the time till the concert commenced was pleasantly relieved by watching tha people come. They walked in in fairly steady order, like a gently rising tide. Now and then a larger party than usual, like a big wave, would swamp a whole seat and overflow into little nooks and corners near. Later such waves were forced to break uptwo here, two there, and solitary members of the party finding seats where they could. Then a growing cluster of people standing in the side aisles announced that no more seats were to be found, and chairs were brought in. Every variety of oostume was to be seen. A month or two ago, evening dress at Choral Concerts was declared to be obligatory, but the resolution has never been enforced. Many people had always (dressed for these ocoasions, and it certainly looks much better, but quite half the audience invariably appear in morning dress, keeping on their hats and bonnets, and rousing tbe wrath of those who are unluckj enough to sit behind them.

Wo were beginning to weary of criticising the dresses and appearance of those in the hall, when, with a sensation of relief, we saw the doors at tho back of the choir seats —high up near tho roof —open, and the singers make their descent. First came the ladies, all dressed in white, the altos with a sash of crimson, the sopranos with a touch of blue. They always glide most gracefully and quietly down the high awkward steps, but when the men appear it is a very different matter. They jerk and jump and clatter into their places. Then the orchestra flies in from a side door below. Herr Schmitt makes his appearance, and is greeted with a loud buret of applause. He acknowledges it gravely before scanning the ranks of his forces. A tall, commanding figure, with many medals and orders uponhis breast, his keen eyes glance comprehensively round ohoir and orchestra. Tbe sopranos are very numerous. Yet he knows that far from out weighting the other voices, some of the most dangerously weak points of the works before him are in the leads of that large assemblage of smiling women in white garments and blue ribbons. Once at a practice—for a former concert--he had stopped a chorus, and gazing sadly at the sopranos, remarked in a tone which was rendered more cutting by his foreign accent and vehemenentemphasis, “What a very large body of ladies, and what a very small body of sound I”

Last night there was a delightful li't'e dance at the Bemuera Hall. I think there must have been about thirty couples, ladies and gentlemen being about equal in numbers. Miss Whewell looked well in very pale heliotrope-colored nun's veiling. The body was trimmed with pale pink chiffon, a wreath of artificial pink roses, and ribbons of the two shades. The skirt had a short train, and was only trimmed with a deep flounce round tbe bottom, headed by festoons of the pink and heliotrope ribbons. Miss Henderson wore black with a soft full liberty sash, the exact color of the daffodils she wore in her hair and as shoulder knots, Her palm leaf fan was decorated with the same fbwers and tied with long ends of ribbon the earns shade. Miss Jervois wore a trained black silk and lace. Miss Grey, a red dress with black lace. A very pretty pale pink had a full pinked out ruohing round the low neck and short sleeves. Miss Tonks wore heliotrope, the body much trimmed with beading. Many of the girls had long silk scarves as wraps to throw over their shoulders or tie In a big bow round their necks when they went out on the balcony.

The honors of the evening did not rest With any lady. It was a gentleman who attracted moat attention. He has not been long out from England. His dress coat was out in the very latest style—square, with no tails. Jnatead of the conventional white tie he wore a black one. It is the fashion to abuse an E glishman's full dress, but I oertainly think these innovations no improvement. It was not, however, Mr Patterson’s attire, but his style of dancing, which made him the observed of all observers. Step dancing, however excellent, introduced into the modern waltz, neoessarily attracts attention This gentleman's anxiety to dance from the first note of music to thp last was only equalled by his lightness and the extraordinary pace at which he executed various evolutions with bis feet, which oan only be adequately described by a vulgar simile, that of “ a cat on hot bricks." His steps in the waltz and the polka seemed to carry absurdity to its height, But when the Barn Dance came, the agility with which he crossed and re-crossed his feet, pointed his toes and sprang into the air, created the greatest amusement. When the Highland sohottisohe was reached on the programme, numbers of the dancers crowded on the stage or stood in the hall to watoh his performance. Stimulated thus to greater exertions he outdid his previous efforts. His partner in any dance was sure of being conspicuous and more looked at than any other girl in the room, but as twice during the evening he allowed the lady he was dancing with to fall, besides measuring hie own length on'gnother occasion, there were drawbacks even to that dfgnifled position.

There was an exceptionally light civil lief at the Court on Thursday, Mr Booth, R.M., being on the Bench. Only two cases came up for hearing—Liquidators in the estate of 8. Stevenson v. C. Anderson, claim £26 ss; Mr Finn appeared for plaintiff; judgment by consent for £23 fis, costs £3 14s. Teat and Friar v. J. Harvey, claim £2 5s 5d ; judgment by default, costs 6s, Lyndon and others v. Bolton (Mr Finn for plaintiffs and Mr WatsOn for defendant), and Johnstone v, Oresswell (Mr Jones for plaintiff) were adjotirabi).'