The Isle of Wight Observer – Saturday, December 1, 1900.
Cantata: A pretty cantata, entitled “Bundles of Sticks”, was performed on Thursday evening at the George Street Congregational Schoolroom, by the pupils of Hanover House school, (principals the Misses Shaw), in aid of the fund for providing a piano for the Band of Hope. The toys, etc., on the Christmas tree, (part of the staging of the cantata), were afterwards presented to the sick children in the Royal IW County Hospital.
The Vectis Cycling Club held a very successful smoking concert at their headquarters, the York Hotel, on Thursday evening. Mr H Sweetman, JP, occupied the chair and presented the attendance prizes won by Messrs T Butcher, Tomkin, J Downer. Several members of the IWCC, Newport, were present, and songs were rendered by: Messrs G Butcher, Priestly, Butcher, H Sweetman, Wyatt, Seal, Hackshaw, Reed, McFarlane and others. Mr Perren presided at the piano.
There was a very good audience in the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, when another popular concert organised by the Organ Committee was given. Mr R Yates Mander, the borough organist, kindly gave his services and performed the following solos on the organ in his usual masterly style: March from “Eli”, “Allegro cantabile from Organ symphony”, “Concert fantasia from Scottish melodies”, “Air with variations from the septet”, and the overture, “Le cheval de bronze”. Mrs Gartside-Tipping, (who was in capital voice) kindly favoured with Moir’s “Down the Vale”, and M V White’s “The Spring has come”. Mr Wright Beaumont’s pleasing tenor was heard to advantage in Handel’s “Where’er you walk”, Richardson’s “Mary”, and Galliard’s “With early horn”. Miss Eva Buck is evidently one of the coming violinists of the town. Her first solo was de Beriot’s no 3 of “Trois Bouquets”, and her second German’s “Salterelle”. The audience disregarded the request on the programme not to encore when the last was played and induced Miss Buck to appear again when she substituted a “Serenade” by Saint-Saens.
The image below shows the Ryde Town Hall organ in its heyday.
