West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 22 April 1912, page 8


: THE KOOMBANA,'.. i MEMORIAL CONCRT.' .The widespread sympathy evoked amongst :: alldclasses of the commumnity by the recent terrible'.catastropheson our north-west coast . foUind practical expreasion yesterday aftern?go,; when a memorial concert was given, in memory of those who perished in the wreck of the Koombana and in aid of. those faihilies who have thus been bereft of their breadwinners. With characteristic generosity the Mayor (Mr. T. G. Molloy) had.placed His Majesty's-Theatre at the disposal of the organisers; and the bhilding was packed to its utmost capacity, some'' hundreds of ipeople being accommodated with chairs at the rear of the stage, whilt nuiibers had' to remain standing at the" back of circle and stalls.. Prominent in the audience', were the / Governor, Sir Gerald Strickland; the' Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Edward Stone (attended by Captain KerrPearse and Captain "H. Wilkinson), Sir John and' Lady Forrest, the Premier aid Mrs. Scaddan, the Mayor and Mayoress, the Dean and Mrs. Mercer, and. many other repre. sentative' citizens. Mr.. H. C. Goff, to whom the initiatios: of this laudable movement is due, had mans riilliti' helpers.; In addition to.a general committee, Messrs. E. I. Watkin and.J. D.,' Moss aided in'the arrangement of the pro: .gramme, numerous, gentlemen acted as:' honorary ushers and doorkeepers the matron of the. Perth Public Bespital gave permission.:to a .number of the nurses froml that. institution to sell the souvenir. programmes issued for the occasion, and the two leading local bands-the Perth City and the Perth Concert Band-lent valuable as. sistanhe,, the former by taking a prominent part ,in the musical 'programme, the latter by parading the city, prior to the perform- -ance. A choir of nearly 200 voices, including contingents from most of the musical societies. and- church choirs, united, under. Mr. Godse baton' in the rendering' f a:ppropriate music, Dyke's setting of the hymn. 'Eternal" Father," "For Those in Peril on the Sea," the same. composer's "Now the ILabourer's Task is. O'er" (to both of which Mr. Hugh McMahon had arrangedhband ac. companrmenta) and Sullivan's touching part. 'song, The Long Day Closes.". In addition .Miss Minnie Waugh. iang .Willeb 's beautiftil setting of"Crossing. the Bar," Mr.. R. Maurice Jones contributed a suitable number in'"The Sailor's Grave". (Sullivan), and Mr. Frank L.' Robertson "ave an oratorio 'excerpt, "The Trumpet. Shall" Sound," to, which Mr. H. McMaholi supplied the obligato.. The pianoforte accompaniments were played bye Mrs. Frank Robertson and Mr. H.'Hadwen-Chandler.' By 'request there was no applause. During the afternoon' the newly-elected Dean of Perth,' the Very Rev. H. F. Mercer, addressed the audience. They were met together, he said, in the shadow of one of the' greatst sorrows and .one.e. the most appalling: catastrophes that, had' ever happened in the. history, of Australia, and it came home to many in the gathering because of the .loas of loved ones. Many i. the audience were sorrowing because friends and relatives had been lost. Whiles.. they were experiencing that sorrow, however, there was also a feeling of gladness, gladness that. they could,. by such a gather.: ing, show in a practical way their sympathy with those bereaved ones in need of. help. There must also be a feeling of pride that. they were Britishers, because they were sure that in the loss of the Koombana, as also in the more recent and terrible catastrophe. of the past week, the men had behaved:in a manner worthy of the best traditions of the British race. Many calamities were due, unfortunately, to the carelessness of men. There seemed.in these days to be too great a, desire for speed and luxury. In one case hundreds of lives had been sacrificed, and he was afraid. that many people blamed the Creator for what was really the foolishness of man. There wero other disasters which occurred in the course of the Divine government/of the world. Then men realised that after all there was a Supreme Power governing all things.. They must bow to that Divine Providence which had permitted this great catastrophe and take comfort' in .the thought that their suffering had been sent by a Heavenly Father. The Dean concluded by earnestly appealing to his hearers -to support the relief fund opened by the Mayor, which be '(the Dean) believed -bad up till now, been. but poorly responded ,to. The programme,. which had opened .with Chopin's "Marche Funebre," played by 'the Perth City Band under Mr. MeMahon s oon-. ductorship, concluded with;Handel's. "Dead March,". the audience standin" throughout its performance as a token of'respect aiid sympathy. " THE RELIEF MOVEMENT. A meeting of ladies has been called.bythe Mayor of East Fremantle (Mr. J. ?F.'.Alen) in connection with the Koombaina relief fuind for' this afternoon, at 430 o'clock, . in the Council' Chamber, of the local Town Hall. A similar, movement has been inaugurated by. the Mayor of North 'Fremantle (Mr.. B. H. Tompkinson), who has 'called a meeting of-- citizens of. that. district', for to-morrow, evening in the 'Council. Chamber of the, North Fremantle Town Ha1.