The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-12-10
a RURAL FETE.
Grand Concert at Lihue, Kauai-An In
teresting Report of the Event.

Grand Concert at Lihue, kaUai-An In
teresting Report of the Event.
The Iong-Iooked for event, the concert
given by the combined Glee Clubs OF
Lihue and vicinity, took place on Satur-
dav evening, December 1st. The con-
cert. which was held in the native
church, was brilliant success, socially
as well as financially. The building was
literally packed with an attentive audi
ence of every nationality, the elite of the
white population, as well as Hawaiians,
Norwegians, etc. in all more than two
hundred people. The church was beau
tifuIly decorated with palms, ferns, cane
tassels, and many-hued flowers. Over
each window the branches Of the date
palm met, forming graceful arch, while
the pulpit was completely lost in an en-
bankment of tropical foliage. The audi
ence and the performers were separated
by large curtain OF red, white, and blue
bunting.
Some time ago a GIee Club was started
here, and soon afterward three others
sprang into existence. The largest of
these, NawiliwiIi Club, has twelve mem
bers, Niumalu Club has ten, Lihue Club
has nine, while that of Pualoke Is only
Quartette Club.
For this concert, there were seventeen
numbers on the programme, and though
all were Well-rendered, few are desery-
ing of special mention. First among
these W9s the character song by Mr..
Harry Dimond, entitled Poor Black
joe" The entire . get-up" was perfect,
many thinking it was a genuine negro,
FE,o.h Lob So. 1.alf Ia1 Elr-h
gray whiskers, the bowed gray head, and
the shabby-genteel clothes, being vivid
picture of the old-time American slave
Mr.. Dimond sang with tender pathos,
and the soft tones of the guitar with
which he accompanied himself harmon
lied well with his song, and with the low
voices of the concealed singers who joined
the chorus.
Mr.. Chapman was loudly applauded
for his exquisite rendering of The Bat
tie of Sebastopol - on the guitar, and the
audience insisting upon an encore, he
played jumping OF the Frogs" waltz.
Except these two gentlemen, the per
formers were all HaWaiians. In the
Lihue Club, the ladies wore white holo-
kus and Swiss caUs decorated with tinsel
and bespangled with gilt stars. The
gentlemen were dressed ia striped cotton
knee-breeches, with long striped stock
ings, and swallow tailed coats OF bright
scarlet cotton, embossed with large black
flowers. AS an interIude between the
verses of a song, the men played I" Yam
kee Doodle " on the violin, guitar, banjo
and ukulele, while one OF their number
executed an excellent tamboui inc solo,
and another handled the bones i'm q mas
terly manner.
Niumalu Club sang well, and four of
this band gave fine gun drill keeping
excellent time to the music OF several
guitars.
Nawiliwili Club gave some very sweet
songs in a manner that showed much
practice, one duet in particular being
worthy of mention.
Pualoke Club sang Aloha De, with a
guitar and either accompaniment, the
latter instrument being well played by
Mrs. Niau. Later in the evening this
quartette, whose voices blend in perfect
unison, sang a song, wherein each Of the |
four sang alternately, and then joined in
a rich full chorus. The guitar, banjo
and uAulele accompaniment added much
to the musical voices. The sweet So
prano OF Mrs. Hanaike's voice, and the
deep bass of the Rev. Mr. Niau made |
this song a perfect gem. They were
most tumultuously applauded, after
WIllCll CIlcy IcpSdIcu ILG SOIIS.
Rev. Mr.. Niau in a few well-chosen !
Hawaiian words thanked the audience !
for their presence, and Mrs. Niau did the |
same in the English language. The |
Hawaii Ponoi, by the combined Clubs,
closed the exercises.
The concert was the idea of Mrs. w. |
II. Rice, in order to raise funds for |
Christmas tree, and gifts for the Sabbath |
School children. This lady deserves |
great praise for her earnest endeavors to |
help the Hawaiians, and she may feel |
proud of the success of this entertain |
ment, which realized $117. Among the |
workers for the good of the natives, few |
can surpass Mrs. Niau in energy, patience |
and earnestness. She and her husband, |
the Rev. Mr.. Niau, came to Lihue few |
months ago, and have labored untiringIy, |
and with good results. They are deserv- |
edly popular with the native as well as !