1914-01-24: Peebles Juvenile Choir, under the conductorship of Mr Stewart F Gray, organist, St Andrew’s United Free Church, Peebles, gave the concluding two performances, of a series of five, of the entertaining and fascinating kinderspiel entitled “The Midshipmite,” an operetta in four sets. As was the order on the previous three days, both the afternoon matinee and evening performance on Saturday were well patronised, particularly so in the evening, when the Chambers Town Hall was crowded to overflowing with a delighted audience, who simply could not have enough of the children’s clever performances, as was evident by the persistent applause and the repeated demands for encores of the principal soloists. Even the negroes, in a characteristic song, “Hokey-Pokey,” sung till they could sing no more for laughing at the audience, who were laughing at them.

All the dances – the Scotch Reel by the Milkmaids, the Sailors’ Hornpipe by two of the sailors – Dora Kerr and Maggie Stewart – and the Tango dance by the four tiny Tango dancers – were all executed with an agility that won for them the hearty plaudits of the large gatherings, that all had to respond to well deserved encores.

In the choice of principals, no better selections could have been made – Jean Jardine as the “Midshipmite,” making a pretty and ideal middy, while the part of “Squire Hawthorne” was ably impersonated by Nellie French. The characters of “Granny Sanders” and “Patey Sanders” could not have been in more delightful keeping than that of Meg Ker and Roert Jardine, who, in their respective parts, revealed themselves to be excellent actors. Daisy Ferguson, as “Fairy Queen,” was a Queen indeed.

The ”baby actor” of the kinderspiel was the trig little telegraph boy, which was delightfully acted with a childish simplicity by five-year old little Ella Peden that simply charmed and amused all.

If the choir was well served by its principals, it was likewise with its soloists – Kate Freer, Bessie Torrance, Tom Williamson and John Freer.

Throughout the kinderspiel, the actions and movements of the large company of juveniles – close upon sixty in number – were brisk and compelling. The chorus, fairies, negroes – in fact, all the young performers being units, towards the general excellence of a kinderspiel production that has never before been attempted on such a huge scale in Peebles – the various characters being attired in character dresses, the stage being fitted with scenery and drop scenes, with electrical colour effects, adding to the picturesqueness of the various scenes – that it is not surprising that one hears nothing but praise on all sides, of “oor bairns” in their fine rendering of “The Midshipmite.”

At the conclusion of the performance on Saturday night, the principals were each presented with boxes of chocolates amid applause.

Contributing in no small way to the success of the operetta was the fine concerted playing of a local orchestra, who beautifully rendered the “catchy” music. Mr Fred C Purvis presided at the organ, Miss Rachel M Goodwillie at the piano; the other members of the orchestra were – Messrs Smith Gilroy and William Gilroy (1st violins), Andrew Gray and James Gray (2nd violins), Robert Russell (cello), Robert Simpson (flute), George Philp (cornet), John McDonald (trombone) and Frank Bain (drums).

All over the entire production was one which did credit to young Peebles and the conductor – Mr Stewart F Gray, who was ably assisted by Mr T Pringle, who acted as stage manager. To raise the young company to such a high standard of efficiency must have been an arduous and painstaking task indeed. Such a musical training of the young as the conductor has inculcated must have an after effect for good on those who have embraced it and who knows but that some of the little performers may in years after be our local “star” artistes, as has already been proved by previous kinderspiels, being responsible in after years for providing Peebles with some of its best vocalists. For the excellent photograph which we reproduce of “Oor bairns at play,” we are indebted to R M Brown of Venlaw Studio, Peebles.