"
March 1st, 1929.]
Two N.C.O.'s Receive Medals.
To the strains of Handel's 'Scipio" March, the General in- spected the ranks, chatting genially with various officers and men from time to time. Then, returning to the saluting base, the General took the salute as the corps marched past in Company formation.
The companies marched excep- tionally well, and the swinging kilts of the Scotties made a brave sight which was accentuated by the flash- ing glint of swords and bayonets.
At the halt in front of the General, the wings of the Corps formed left and right companies respectively, the parade taking the shape of three sides of a square. The General then bestowed long service medals on C.S.M. Green and Sergt. Jack. He then made a farewell speech.
The General spoke warmly of the progress made by the band. This was their first appearance at an annual inspection and they had done extremely well, he said.
The four years he had spent in Hong Kong had proved to him the value of the Corps as a defence force, and, as a trained body of men, they were a decided asset to the Colony. They were a credit to
their
energetic and painstaking Commandant, Lieut.-Col. Bird.
Many changes had taken place, and new companies had been formed in order to cope with modern de- mands. The Corps was now work- ing on right lines and he assured them that, if they were needed in an emergency, they would take their place as a recognised unit side by side with regular forces.
The New Colours.
It gave him special pleasure, he continued, to observe the new colours, presented to the Corps by the ladies of the Colony, on parade for the first time.
¦
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NATIONAL DANCES AT
KOWLOON.
EIGHTEEN NATIONS REPRE- SENTED.
"Great oaks from little acorns grow.' It was at a gathering of ladies at an afternoon tea that the subject of the "Vira dances" of Portugal was discussed and the idea was thrown out that probably Mme. Tamagnini, the artistic wife of the popular Governor of Macao, H.E. Senhor Artur Tamagnini Barbosa, might be found willing to arrange and conduct the practices for a display of a few of the national dances of Portugal in Hong Kong. This was the genesis of the international dances festival which took place at the Club de Recreio on Saturday afternoon and which was pronounced such a con- spicuous success by the hundreds of residents from Hong Kong and Macao gathered within the hall of the Recreio building, in King's Park.
Mrs. W. T. Southorn, wife of the Colonial Secretary, developed the proposal to stage the Portuguese national dance into a great social reunion
various
in which the nationalities forming part of the great cosmopolitan community of Hong Kong could be made to feel actively interested.
The entertainment opened with a contra- lavce.cvecnted by some forty little children, for the most part sons and daughters of members of the Club de Recreio. The boys
were
dressed in black as little pages, and the girls represented diminutive ballad dancers in dresses of light and pleasing hues. The music was provided by the Portuguese juvenile orchestra with Master Horacio Graca Ozorio as conductor. The dance was staged by Mr. Duarte Baptista.
He felt concern over the numerical strength of the unit. The Portu- The Misses Stella and Helen guese had formed a Company which and Rachel Wong next took the "Dance of the was keenly enthusiastic. He deplor- floor with the
all the three young ed the apathy with regard to enlist-Lanterns," ment on the part of Britishers in ladies being gorgeously dressed in the Colony and hoped that this Chinese costume. would be remedied. He hoped also that they would expand the present Army Service Corps Cadre and thus ensure an efficient system of mechanical transport to deal with emergencies.
French Gavotte.
281
and Y. Hasuda (singers) with Mesdames S. Wada, Y. Kobayashi and Y. Takeda as accompanists. The stage was converted to convey the illusion of a river side in Japan with cherry trees on either bank loaded with pink cherry blossoms.
France contributed a second item -Danse Des Lutins-to the first part of the programme, the execu- tion of which by Mlle. Bonen faut with a delicacy of taste and finish was very greatly admired.
Russian Muzrka.
a
Miss O'Keefe's talented pupils delighted the audience with Russian mazurka. The bright dresses, the high black top boots and the entire get-up were greatly admired. The young ladies were deservedly applauded; they were the Misses Bella and Betty Peston- jee, Norma and Thelma May, Marion Bryson, Tamara Ellis, Nellie Field and Maud George.
Great Britain's Part.
The first part of the programme concluded with items of an Old Eglish dance and an Irish Jig. For this again the audience had to thank Miss O'Keefe and her versatile little boy and girl pupils, no less than sixteen of whom ap- peared on the stage in gay dresses for the English dance and four for the jig. For the latter Margery Simpson partnered Billy Mayes, and Joyce Crapnell Patsy Wood. The little entertainers received deserved appreciation from the large audience.
Al Fresco Tea. During the interval selections of music were played by the Band of the Queen's Royal Regiment and were greatly enjoyed. Tea served in the open on the beautiful lawn of the Recreio Club.
was
Portuguese Songs and Dances. When the curtain lifted for the second part of the entertainment, it was
scen with what care and Hothought Mme. Tamagnini had de- signed the staging to represent a Portuguese village. The scene opens in a country-side. There is con- sidérable gaiety and hilarity and the test was described in Mme. Tamagini's address. Dances from the provinces of Algarve, Minho and Coimbra were artistically executed by some 36 leading resi- dents of Macao and the national songs of fairLusitania were heard by some for the first time on a stage in Hong Kong The dresses were greatly admired for their colourful beauty and design and are just those that are worn by the peasants in Portugal. Music was played on the national instruments-the man- dolin, the guitar and concertinas. At intervals they were supplement- ed by a Columbia Kloster electric gramaphone kindly lent Anderson Music Co.
In the typical dress of a French lassie and lad, Mlle. Bonenfant and M. de la Prade earned well-deserved applause in a danse Alsacienne which they performed to perfection to the accompaniment of Mme. de Major-14 Prade at the piano. The little couple are very young, and gave an exhibition of skill remarkable for their tender years.
The Corps would find a warm friend in his successor.
General Sandilands had command- ed a Territorial Brigade at home not many years ago. Thus he would understand the needs and difficulties of the Corps and would prove a most helpful adviser to them.
"And now," he concluded, "I wish you goodbye and good luck!" With the tang of the trombones and cornets and the steady beat of the drum keeping them in step, the Corps swung in fours from the Parade Ground and marched back to their Headquarters.
To-day, they have donned their civilian clothes and are back again at their office desks wondering if the boss" was there and if he
noticed them and their drill.
H.A.F.
"Harbinger of Spring." Notable for their poetic concep- tion and daintiness of colouring, the Japanese contributors to the
staged what programme
is
SO "Har-
7
charmingly described as the binger of Spring." The stage set- ting, the lantern light effects, and the scenery were all the work the Japanese sub-committee who carried it out under the personal direction of Mr. M. Kitayama, hon. secretary of the Japanese Residents' Association. The performers were Mrs. C. Makiyama, and the Misses Y. Takeda and E. Hachiuma (dancers), Mesdames K. Kineya
Grand Finale.
the
Then came the grand spectacular finale in an international tableau representing no less than eighteen atios.
Thanks must be accorded Col. Cardew, the musical director, for staging this "federation of the world" so thoroughly representa- tive of the cosmopolitan community of Hong Kong and to all the ladies taking part in it.
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