RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1975 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/j0995146d NOTES AND QUERIES 295 gregation of about one hundred persons, but sufficient for the present requirements of the denomination. The funds necessary for the erection of the Chapel have been derived from two sources, about one half having been found by the Lutheran Mission in Germany, and the other half collected by friends of the Mission in the Colony. On Mar. 14, 1881, the same paper describes the opening ceremony: The consecration of the new Bethesda Chapel, in connection with the Berlin Foundling Association, took place yesterday morning under the conduct of the Rev. Pastor Klitzke, assisted by the Rev. R. Lechler and W. Louis. The musical portion of the ceremony was performed by the Leidertafel. The new church is a neat little edifice and has received as interior decoration a marble font and three stained glass windows, presented by a friend in Germany and the Committee of Management respectively. For some reason the services were moved in 1902 to the Church Hall of Union Church. Here the group met until 1904 as the "Deutsche Kirchen und Schulegemeinde". It then moved back to Bethesda Chapel, where services were held until the congregation was broken up by the outbreak of the War in 1914. Hong Kong, 1975 CARL T. SMITH PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY OF HONG KONG: NOTES TO ACCOMPANY AN EXHIBITION* Members may have heard of or seen references to the survey which has been embarked upon by some of your Councillors, with the co-operation of photographers from other associations and societies. The purpose of this report is to give you some idea of the objects and scope of this project, and to let you know what progress has been made. We have so far deliberately limited publicity on the survey, since we have been very much finding our way by a series of trials and errors; and offers of additional assistance, which we hope may be forthcoming in future, would have * Held at the Annual General Meeting in April 1975 (see p. 6 above) and subsequently on show at the British Council Library, Gloucester Building, Hong Kong. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1982 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mk61z420p 224 CARL T. SMITH With children performing there was no question of respectability. It was announced some weeks after the first performance that "several ladies having expressed regret at not witnessing the late performance of the Portuguese children, Mr. Souza, with the consent of the parents, and at the request of the Committee, has consented to repeat the performance at an early date". In 1866 the Portuguese community built a club house at Shelley and Elgin Streets. Attached to it was a small theatre. It was used not only by Portuguese amateurs but, before the opening of the Theatre Royal in the City Hall in 1869, it was the venue for the productions of the Amateur Dramatic Club. The Theatre portion of Club Lusitano was demolished in 1873, The Germans built a club house on Wyndham Street in 1872. It contained a small auditorium. German amateur groups used it for plays and operettas. More appreciated by the non-German speaking community were the concerts and the appearance of Liedertafel singing groups. THE A.D.C—BORN IN A MATSHED An Amateur Theatrical Society was formed in 1860. Its membership was made up of both civilians and military officers. For the 1860-61 season they erected a new matshed. It was said that in its internal arrangements there was "no lack of comfort, indeed elegance has received its share of attention". It included a continental innovation the prompter's box was placed in the centre in front of the curtain "according to the French custom”. The Committee of the Society came under attack for alleged misuse of funds. At the second performance of the 1861 season it was deemed necessary to make a public statement refuting accusations which had appeared in the local press. The Committee had been charged "with spending the profits in cold fowl and sherry behind the scenes." Two professional ladies of the stage also figured in the accusations. The newspaper account of the public explanation concluded with the sentiment that "Hong Kong thanks the Amateurs and has fullest confidence in the ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1989 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h 171 Local amateur musicians The resident amateurs, about whom "Philharmonic" was so full of praise, generally performed in combination with a professional artist — although there were exceptions. Thus, there was the amateur concert in aid of the Lancashire Relief Fund, mentioned earlier, on April 17, 1863, at which among others Beethoven's "Egmont" and Weber's "Freischütz" overtures were played on the pianoforte; furthermore, glees and songs were sung by a small choir of gentlemen. In November 1864, another charity concert was given, this time in aid of the repairs fund of the "Hongque Free Episcopal Church", organised by the "Shanghai Vocal Quartette Club". But it was far more usual that a professional artist sought the assistance of some local amateurs in order to diversify the evening somewhat. Otherwise the chance was great that the public would be bored — despite the alleged love of Shanghailanders for music witness the remark in the Herald of October 1, 1864: "people here hardly care to sit for two hours to listen to a performance on the violin, however well the instrument is handled; some variety is required". So the instrumental recitals were alternated with vocal exertions by the amateurs, as e.g. on February 22, 1859, when the critic was dissatisfied with the main interpreter, Prof. Shonbrun, but on which occasion the amateur tenor solos were thought to be given "with taste and feeling". At a following performance of the same pianist he was again surrounded by singers one of whom even ventured to tackle the great tenor aria from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. 62 The Germans, despite their small number (about 200 in 1865), were generally active in the cultural field. Even before they had their own Club, a Singverein "Germania" had been established as early as before 1859 although the regularity of the organisation may be doubted for, at one time, there was not even a conductor, resulting in an "evident want of confidence and decision by which the general effect was much impaired". Little was heard of it in subsequent years, but it may have been the fore-runners of the German "Liedertafel" which existed in the early seventies and which was then led by Mr. Hogquist.65 Garrison music The concerts that were given by the bands of the several military forces ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1994 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/zk522640g 10 It was not until 1931 that the Club was revived in rented premises on the fourth floor of No. 2 Connaught Road. The club's concert hall was a popular venue for musicals. A singing group, the Liedertafel, was organised in 1873. A pianist, Franz Jachimeck made an eastern tour in 1867. He gave a private recital at the German Club and a public one at the hall of Club Lusitano. The concert included three German songs rendered by an amateur group. In the same year a lighter programme of entertainment was offered to the public in the following advertisement, "Ein Cultur-Historisch und Social Humoristische Vertrag aber Californian mit einem Seitenblick nach Yokohama. Donnerstage abends 9 Uhr in dem kleinen Saale des Oriental Hotel vor Dr. B.B. Schwarzbach, gehalten werden. Billet a $2 sind bei den Herr Lane, Crawford and Co., Hochstetter, Gaup, Cremer". The English speaking community were not deprived of Dr. Schwarzbach's lecture of culture, history and humour, for he repeated it in English a few nights later. One of the highlights in the history of the old Club Germania was the visit of Prince Henry and Princess Irene of the Prussian royal family. Prince Henry was a grandson of Queen Victoria of England. Consequently the event was not confined to the German community. As a finale to the entertainment of the evening, a naval group from the British war ship "Powerful" presented three "real life Tableaux": Ready For Action, Battle Scene, and the Death of Nelson, all representative of British patriotism. Included was a patter song linking the guest of honour with his grandmother: One word before I end my song To welcome in far Hongkong The grandson of our Gracious Queen The Sailor Prince, of course, I mean; To welcome him, may he always be Found playing on the side of the Royal Navy. The warm feelings between Britain and Germany prevailing during the visit of His Royal Highness, were dissipated when war clouds increasingly piled up before August 1914. ================================================================================