Conisboro’ Board School Concert

The annual concert by the children attending the Conisboro’ Board school, was given on Thursday evening last and the prizes gained by the successful scholars during the year were also distributed during the evening.

Although the attendance was not so great as is generally the case at these annual concerts, it was a very good one, and the programme submitted to the audience was received with the plaudits which it richly merited.

The chair was taken by C. Kilner, Esq., who, in opening the proceedings, said he was glad to be taking part in the concert. He was very much interested in the rising generation, and particularly in the young people of that village. (Hear, hear) He would like to see them grow into young men and young women with some stamina in them and some character about them – (hear, hear) – and they might depend upon it that nothing would stand the test so well as stamina. (Hear, hear.) They wanted to-day men and women of character, and while the young were being taught in the schools they were getting the foundation for building those characters upon, and they hoped and trusted that the men and women of the future generation would be better than the men and women of today. (Hear, hear.) He thought there was something in the appearance of the children to be proud of. There was a special prize on the table for a boy who had never missed a day in coming to school for a year. (Cheers.) They heard something nowadays about a levelling up. They could never expect those higher up in the scale – socially, politically, or any other way – to come down to a level. It was those who were down who must try to get up. (Hear, hear.) What they wanted was to teach their children to make a spring in society. (Cheers.)

The scholar who Mr. Kilner referred to as not missing an attendance during the year was Master Horace Goodlad, to whom a special prize was awarded.

Under the management and conductorship of Mr. Arthur, W. Snipe, the children acquitted themselves admirably and in the various items during the evening there were evidences of the utmost care having been taken in the preparation of the children.

Mr. F. S. R. Oxley accompanied on the pianoforte, and the following was the programme:

Glee, ‘King Christmas.’
children; recitation, ‘Meddlesome Matty,’
Emily Smith; song, ‘Always look on the sunny side,’
Wm. Richardson; glee, ‘Night is down the valley stealing,
children; recitation, ‘When I’m a man,’
six boys; song, ‘Silver moonlight winds are blowing,’
Alice Saul; glee. ‘Come with thy-lute,’
children; recitation, ‘Two little kittens,’.
Lily Crooks; glee, ‘Ash Grove,’
children; glee’ ‘Drive the nail aright, boys.’ (below)
children; recitation, ‘The king’s daughter’,
M. Atkin; song, ‘The last rose of summer,’
Alice Laughton; glee, ‘All’s well,’
children; recitation, ‘Arthur and Hubert,’
J. Payne and F. Oxley; song, ‘The mistletoe bough,’
S. M. Brown; glee, ‘Spring,’ children.

DRIVE THE NAIL ARIGHT “

Drive the nail aright, boys ;
Hit it on the head ;
Strike with all your might, boys,
While the iron’s red.

When you’ve work to do, boys,
Do it with a will ;
They who reach the top, boys,
First must climb the hill.

Standing at the foot, boys,
Looking at the sky,
How can you get up, boys,
If you never try ?

Though you stumble oft, boys,
Never be downcast ;
Try and try again, boys —
You will win at last.

Drive the nail aright, boys ;
Hit it on the head ;
Strike with all your might, boys,
While the iron’s red.