THE MESSIAH.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 614, 30 December 1871, Page 2

THE MESSIAH.

Yesteeday evening the membfii1 :* 6f the 1 Choral Society performed Handel's cele- 1 brated oratorio "The Messiah, m bt. P Paul'aOathedral. The churchwa-sri'owued, t not less than 800 persons beir ? present-. J After a short devotional semes, a col' ■* lection "was made in aid of the new organ , f fund. As, however, it had not been J publicly notified that any cal; yould. oe made, few came prepared, and what might 1 have been a large collection on] y amounted 1 0 £15 6s. Still it is by no means too J late even now for those to hand over their . subscriptions who would have done so last night, for the amounts will be received at any time by the office-bear err J With regard to the performance, which was under the able cbnduefcorship of Mr Joseph Browne, we are enabled to speak in terms of the most unqualified praise. With the exception of a little irregular movement among the basses in ' For unto us a child is born," the choruses were executed with the utmost precision. The difficult runs in this, 1 however, almost invariably have some I such effect. Perhaps the boat of all j was "All we like sheep" which was I rendered perfectly.^The "Hallelujah" was j splendidly sang, although a lifcl [•■■ careless- j ness was audible among the instrumentalists. The commencing recitative and , air " comfort ye" were taken by a gentle- j man whose well trained tei = ;■ voice gave 1 excellent effect to the mus 0. The saint-! gentleman sang " Oh, those that tellest" with great accuracy, although we cannot ■ help thinking it should have be'en taken by a contralto. Although the aotes sung j by a contralto and by a male voice in tiie j falsetto, aro identically the satn n yet what j the French call the timbre is .0 different in each that the effect on the oar in by no j means the same. A gentleman well- j known to musical fame and possessing a fine baritone .voice, here sang the very , difficult " But who shall abide" with great i correctness, and another rendered the j celebrated "Why do tbe nations" with j force and judgment. Indeed all the? soli \ were well sung, a\d some of 1 the young ladies besides having j a thorough knowledge of the musical art ! and highly cultivated taste, possess voices i of uncommon sweetness, particularly those who gave " But thou did.st not leave," and the lady who sang " He shall feed his flock." The same lady rendered " But he was despised" in a manner which was absolute perfection, and which has never before been attained by an amateur in Auckland. Altogether the oratorio wa3 performed in a most satisfactory manner, , and the exceedingly difficult " Amen" j chorus rendered with precision,—a thing seldom done. The instrumental portion, too, was all through as near perfection as could be ; and Mr Browne deserves the highest praise for the state of efficiency into which his perseverance has brought the Society. Mr Livingstone, the organist of St Paul's, also deserves, great credit for the skilful manner in which he accompanied the recitations and some of the heavier choruses.