Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Abcrystwl th Town Council.…

. I.THE OLD SEAL,

ABERAYRON.

COUNTY SCHOOL.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

COUNTY SCHOOL. GRAND VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT At the prize distribution of the Aberayron County School held at the end of last term it was announced that Miss Scott, B.A., and Mr Williams, B.A., had very kindly undertaken to get up an entertain- ment for the benefit of the School Library. This library which was started less than a year ago contains already some 220 volumes, a fact which elicited warm approval from the Chief Inspector in his report, and which was mentioned by Principal Roberts at the last meeting of the County Governing Body. The benefit derived from a school library cannot be overestimated, especially in a small town like Aberayron, outside the line of traffic and in- ter-course the tendency in such a place is for the thoughts and opinions and ideas of the children to be narrow and limited, confined merely to insignificant local affairs, for the boys and girls to be entirely ignorant of many of the great men, movements and events of our own and of other countries. A child in a large town has far greater facilities for acquiring information and increasing his store of knowledge than a child in a small sequestered place. A school library, when the selection of books is a judicious one, is therefore an immense boon to the children of rural districts, for they pick up words and phrases, and general in- formation in a way in which they can assimilate it, and more important still, their eyes are opened to realms of thought, the existence of which they had never even dreamt of, their mental horizon is widened and their minds expand. That the library is popular is sufficiently proved by the fact that since it has been opened about 700 volumes have been taken out. So eagerly do the children devour the books that it was felt that ioaore should be added as soon as possible. Hence the generous offer of Miss Scott to organise an entertainment and to the grateful way in which it was received by the managers. The entertainment took place on Thurs- day last, and was the first occasion for any such meeting to be held in connection with the school. Major Price Lewes presided, supported by the school managers, and the elite of the neighbour- hood. The inhabitants of the town and neighbour- hood showed that they have the interests of the school at heart and in their own way feel proud of it. They were amply rewarded for coming, for we are expressing the opinion of all who were present when we say that the entertainment all round was an unqualified success, and that it was the best Aberayron has had for many a long day. There was not a dull moment from the first item to the last, and although the programme was a long one, lasting three hours, no one felt inclined to leave his seat till the curtain fell for the last time, and frequent and prolonged were the cheers and laughter which greeted each performance. Well may the two members of the staff who organised and managed the entertainment and trained the children to do their work so excellently, heartily congratulate themselves on the results of their great labour. The first part of the programme was a Charity Minstrel entertainment, when several of the best known nigger songs were very creditably rendered by a troupe of twelve school boys sitting with blackened faces and all the usual nigger accoutre- ments, in a half circle on the stage. The second part consisted of an exhibition of Mrs Jarley's world-renowned wax works. The third part was in the form of a very laughable farce, entitled My Turn Next." The first item in the Christry Minstrel entertainment was the song and chorus Rosalie the Prairie Flower," by Brudder Goliath (more commonly known as Popsy Griffiths), and the niggers. The next was an intellectual treat, Gems from the Poets, Ancient and Modern." The audience was agreeably surprised to find that the greatest poems of the world were full of covert and open allusions to Aborayron Then we bad the dear song, Old Folks at Home," touchingly given by Uncle Sam (Oswald Davies) in a clear childish treble. Mr J R Davies gave the thrilling account of how he -1 Bill Adams, won the Battle of Waterloo." This recitation was followed by the singing of So early in the morning," by Little Joe (John Daniel Lewis) tne chorus being taken by the Niggers, The jokes and riddles which came after caused roars of laughter. Brudder Jeremiah (Harold Jones) contributed perhaps the best and most realistic item of the first part Clad in the habiliments of an aged world-wearied nigger leaning heavily on his stick and making frequent use of an immense handkerchief, be gave a patbetic and faithful rendering of Poor Old Joe." The appearance on the stageof Uncle Sam and Brudder Goliath, singing, arm in arm, the duett, 0 wert thou in the cauld blast elicited great applause on account of their very small size. This favourite old duett was exceedingly well sung, the sweet voices of the little children blending together harmon- iously. Mr David Williams, B.A, gave the recita- tion 41 Nothing to Wear," with much dramatic force and energy. The plaintive air The Old Kentucky Home," was then sung by Brudder Goliath, the Niggers joining in the chorus. The Niggers now disappeared from the stage, their place being taken by John Daniel Lewis, and T Harold Evans, who gave a highly amusing dialogue with unflagging interest throughout. These two di<rtheir part well, true to the characters which they had assumed. This concluded the first part, of the entertainment. The singing and the acting gave ample proof of careful training on the part of those responsible for the entertainment. Part 2 opened with an introductory speech by Mrs Jarley (Miss Scott, B.A.), who accompanied by 'I her son George (Mr Williams) exhibited her world- renowned waxworks, each of which on being wound up went through the performances which it did when alive, The speech was full of local and !I= topical allusions, which were immensely appreci- ated. Everybody and everything of local interest came under the lash of her caustic tongue. In the first group were King Alfred (represented by John Jones) with his historic cake Columbus (Eldred Davies), with his discovering telescope, Lady Jane Grey (Ellen Evans), and her executioner (Octavius Davies), Robinson Crusoe (John Daniel Lewis), with his sack and umbrella "composed," so Mrs Jar- ley informed us, by him; Jack Spratt (Harold Evans), and his wife (Annie Griffiths), the wife eating the meat and Jack eating the bones. The second group consisted of the Cannibal (Stanley Howell) armed with a formidable axe and war-hoop (" whoop"); Signorina Screechini (Ella Jones), singing the scale and the Last Rose of Summer," with variations in a most unmelodius voice as her name indicated; bachelor (Stephen Davies), and his future wife (Gretta Pugh) whom he bronght home in a wheel-barrow boy on the burning deck (Douglas Griffiths), with his head turned by the flames and his clothes on back to front; giggling lady (Bertha Jones), who kept giggling continually. After Mrs Jarley bad given an account of each figure it was dusted, oiled, and wound up by George, who was severely reprimanded by his ma" whenever he neglected his duties. At the end of each group all the wax works went through their motions simultaneously to the accompaniment of music, producing an indescribably funny effect. Among the various extraordinary items of informa- tion conveyed to us by Mrs Jarley were the follow- ing That Columbus under the patronage of the Urban Council of Aberayron set out to discover America in the great Atlantic liner the Martha Jane," with a cargo of New Quay herrings and Aber- ayron winkles; and that King Alfred's heroic act for which his name has been handed down to posterity took place in connection with a cooking class on the model of one recently started in a fourth-rate provincial town, and consisting in rescuing a seed- cake which had been frying too long in a Dutch oven and dropping it in a kettle. The many little scenes which occurred between Mrs Jarley and her son were amusing to the extreme, and added life and reality to the performance. The various per- formers did their trying parts excellently, preserv- ing imperturbable countenances. After a short interval, the farce My Turn Next" was performed. The dramatis personae were Taraxicum Twitters, a village apothecary. Mr David Williams, B.A.; Tom Bolus, his professional assist- ant, Octavius Davies; Tom Trap, a commercial traveller, Stanley Howell; Farmer Wheatear. Mr W. Tom Williams, U.C.W.; Lydia, Twitter's wife. Miss Scott, B.A. Cicely, her sister, Miss Fanny Jones; Peggy, Twitters' housekeeper, Miss Ella Jones. The plot of the farce consisted in the fact that the apothecary suspected his wife of attempt- ing to poison him. The play was the most amus- ing we have ever listened to. By far the main character in the farce was Taraxicum Twitters, whose make-up as a country apothecary newly married was splendid. The gradations from sus- picion to absolute certainty that he was going to be poisoned were amusingly depicted, and the final scene in which he grovels on the floor in a state of abject fear was killing." This part required a consummate actor, and it is no exaggeration to say that Mr Williams did his part most creditably, keeping the audience in continual roars of laughter. Miss Scott, as Lydia, gave a splendid display of her natural historic abilities. She played her part in a wonderfully natural manner, free from all affectation. Stanley Howell, in the character of Tom Trap, acted the part of Twitters' friend well. Octavius Davies, as Twitters' assistant Tom Bolus, contributed a good deal to the hilarity of the farce, while Ella Jones as Peggy, Twitters' housekeeper, greatly amused the audience with her saucy retorts to her master; her acting being very faithful to the character which she represented. Miss Fanny Jones as Cicely, and Mr W. Tom Williams as Farmer Wheatear, did the little they had to do with grace and ease. Due to the clear enunciation and appro- priate action of the performers, the plot of the play was easily followed. All the performers are to be hearty congratulated for doing their parts so splendidly and tnus contributing so much to the general success of the entertainment. Miss Priscilla Rees, A.L.C.M. and Miss Bertha Jones carried out the duties of accompanists most efficiently. The singing of the National Anthem brought the pro- gramme to an end. Financially also the entertainment proved a great success, the proceeds exceeding £11. Miss Scott and Mr Williams deserve the warmest thanks for the immense trouble and care which they must have bestowed on the trainin g of the performers.

LAMPETER.

Llanfihangel Geneu'r Glyn.

TRISANT.

LLANON.

DOLGELLEY.