Mexborough and Swinton Times February 8, 1908

Denaby’s Monstre Tea
The Fullerton Hospital Annual Effort
Orpheus Glee Singers Concert

The annual tea and concert promoted by the good ladies of Denaby for the benefit of the Hospital grows in popularity every year.

It is rapidly assuming proportions which bid fair to compete with those of the gigantic hospital tea at Mexborough. Last year there was a great array of teacups in the large Hall; the sheer scale of operations been considerably increased. No less than 600 people partook of tea, and subsequently quite as many enjoyed the concert of a high order. This ambitious effort has naturally involved the enthusiastic supporters of the Fullerton Hospital at Denaby Main in a lot of hard work, which was cheerfully, and efficiently accomplished.

There was no hitch in Saturday’s programme, and a great deal of the credit of the affair belongs to Mr H.S. Witty, who, as organiser of the event, has been backed up by a number of enthusiastic lady helpers. For this is undoubtedly been a ladies effort. The mere man had nothing to do with it, except of course that he lent a hand in the trifling matter of donations.

Otherwise the following ladies committee has been supreme: Mrs HS Witty, Mesdames Makin, Robinson, Booth, Richardson, Carlton, Hully, Fisher, Jackson, Price, Humphries, Singleton and Misses Ross, Makin and Wordsworth.

The large Hall wore a festive appearance for the occasion, and this was largely due to the decorative efforts of Mr. GL Robinson. Mrs Wordsworth, of Ramskill, added the finishing touches with the loan of plants. The Colliery Company also did a little bit in the matter, rendering very valuable assistance to the ladies committee.

It was hoped the Lord of the Manor, Mr J.S.H.Fullerton, and his lady, of Noblethorpe Hall, Silkstone, would grace the proceedings with their presence, as they did last year, but it was ascertained that they were spending the winter in Northamptonshire.

However everything went off with a rare swing and 500 people were the better for a good tea, and the knowledge that they had done the Hospital a good turn. Their pleasure, either, were not yet at an end, for in the evening a most excellent concert was given.

Mr G.A.Nixon choir, which had made a noise – and a very harmonious and musical noise – in South Yorkshire of late years, it is very best for the people of Denaby provided them with another feast – a feast of harmony. The following were the items rendered:

Glee, “Majestic Night” (Bishop)

Choir: song, “The Blacksmith” (Slater)

Doctor Gardner: humorous part, song, “The catastrophe” (Bragg)

Duet (love and war,) Mrs Howard and Winstanley

Song “The Lowland Sea” (Branscombe) Mr A Butler

Two cradle songs – a contrast, German (Brahms) English (Barnby):

Ballad (My Bonnie (Old Scotch)” with humming accompaniment and chorus arranged by GA Nixon,

Mr AH Burrows, descriptive chorus (the desert marks) eager)

Glee, “Strike the lyre” (Coke);

Song “The Monks” (Hatton)

Mr J Clarke; ballad, “Only to see her face again” (Stuart) with humming accompaniment and chorus arranged by GA Nixon,nor

Mr GW Whitehead: humorist part song “Pussies in the well” (Herbert)

Song tell her I love her so” (De Faye)

Mr W Coe: part song “Break Break!” Rogers:

Ballad, “Rocked in the cradle of the deep” (Night) (with chorus arranged by GA Nixon)

Mr Ben Johnson humourist scena, “The Pump” (West).

There were some old favourites amongst them.

There was “Majestic Night” and “Break, break!”, In which the Orpheus glee singers have excelled and these were especially well received.

The individual items are evidently much appreciated. Although we are continually reminded that “comparisons are odious” there was one item which was outstanding. The old ballad, “Only to see her face again” was rendered by Mr GH Whitehead, with exceptional charm, the national beauty of the song been enhanced by the clever choral arrangement of Mr Nixon.

Mr Arthur Butler the popular local tenor was in magnificent voice, and so charmed the audience with his rendering of “The Lowland Sea” had yet to respond to the vociferous encore and even then they would fain have more.

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